Story of a Girl
by Faix
Summary: Mikado/Masaomi. After being told by his best friend to never be seen in Ikebukuro, Masaomi goes through drastic measures to regain his friend. But maybe things are going a bit too far. Masaomi certainly didn't think of every possible outcome.
1. Prologue

_April 19__th_

_Dear Diary-sama, _

_A lot has happened in Ikebukuro the past few months, starting with Masaomi-kun's sudden leave with Saki-chan. The gang wars died down, though the Yellow Scarves and Blue Squares didn't completely disappear. Neither did the Dollars, of course. If anything, they've grown even more with Orihara-san still sending out invitations. For the longest time it's just been just Anri-chan and I, and while she's one of my closest friends, things have been awkward since that incident and we haven't talk much since then, so it's been overwhelmingly lonely without Masaomi-kun. _

_After all, he's been my best friend since elementary school. Even when he moved, we kept in touch online. A short time after leaving with Saki-chan he kept in touch with me over the Dollars' forums (he never outright said it was him, but it had to have been), but that slowly died down until he finally showed back up in Ikebukuro._

_I was happy to see him again, I really was, but I'm afraid I wasn't very nice to him, for you see, I was still upset that he had left without a word to anyone and I didn't want him getting re-involved with the gangs like I knew he would. So I told him I didn't want to see him anymore... Just like Heiwajima-san did to Orihara-san, I told Masaomi to leave Ikebukuro and I didn't want him to get involved in anything in this town or around it ever again. _

_So he left. _

_I couldn't say I wasn't more than a little hurt, but I'm sure he was as well. Really, it's hard being without him. He was always a big part of my life and things just weren't the same without him either. There was a hole in my chest that couldn't be patched by just Anri-chan or anyone else at Raira Academy alone. Honestly, it almost felt like my life would never be complete without him. Does that sound too melodramatic? But it's true. That's how I felt. _

_At least until I met "__**her**__". And then everything changed…_


	2. Chapter 1

Author Notes:  
>This fanfiction took forever to write. Mainly because I procrastinated but now it's done! Yay! NA95 was very patient with me. Speaking of her, she's been drawing pictures to go with the story. I'll let you guys know when they're up on my profile so you can check them out.<p>

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><p><em>Masaomi frowned slightly as he tapped his pencil eraser on the edge of the kitchen counter he was leaning against, deep in thought. There was a blank notepad in front of him, and every so often he would raise the pencil like he was about to write something, only to put it back down and start his tapping again. Finally, he sighed in frustration and straightened up, running his fingers through his dyed blonde hair. How do parents do this?<em>

"_Hmmm… Mida Kasaomi?" he wondered out loud, jotting down on the paper before quickly crossing it off with a muttered, "No, it sounds too much like Kida Masaomi. Yuki Sukisuzi?" That went on his list, only to be crossed out as well. "Too random." It had to be perfect. __Everything__ had to be perfect. _

_After several more moments of staring at his paper and scribbling a few more names, he finally wrote down one that didn't get crossed out. "Mina Kishimei…" he murmured out loud, liking the way it rolled off his tongue. If he said it quick enough or without much thought it sounded a lot like Kida Masaomi. It had flow to it. "It's perfect."  
><em>

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><p>March 6th<p>

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><p>Ryuugamine Mikado wondered just how he had gotten into this current mess. Sure, he had dealt with gangs before, but he either had backup or was directing things through his computer, protected by the shadows. The only shadows around now belonged to the buildings that framed the small alley. The boy clutched the strap of his shoulder bag tightly, realizing he was completely alone as he tried to assess the situation.<p>

He was trapped in a back alley that smelled of rotting garbage and rat droppings, surrounded by three men. While the gang feuds had died down, the three surrounding him were very clearly Yellow Scarves. The leader of the three was a man with a yellow bandana wrapped around his head. The other two were for intimidation; one in a yellow shirt and one with a strip of yellow fabric tied around his wrist.

Mikado bit his lip, unable to see any escape.

"Yo, dude, we dun wanna hurt you," the one with the bandana drawled. "But we're gonna hafta if you don't give us yo money, you punk ass bitch."

"I-I told you I don't—"

_Thwack!_

Mikado flinched as a hand hit the wall right next to his head and the leader leaned forward menacingly. "Right. You dun have notin', right? But we gotta get something from ya so if you dun have anythin' then we'll just hafta take it from _you_, right?" A cruel smirk twisted on the man's lips and the boy was hit with a sharp stab of fear.

"Would you guys leave him alone?"

The feminine voice echoed around the alley and every head turned to see the girl who spoke. She was standing in the middle of the narrow path with her hands on her hips and a dark glare clouding her features. Mikado's first thought was, _"Masaomi!"_ since the girl had roughly the same haircut and color, but it was a bit too long to be his. Not to mention Masaomi was clearly male while this was definitely a girl in a yellow dress and matching wedges.

After that passed through the boy's mind, his thoughts changed to panic. He didn't want to drag anyone else into his problems!

"I-I'm fine, r-really—"

He was cut off as the leading Scarf pushed himself off the wall and turned to face the girl with a nasty grin on his face. "Does the little girl wanna play? Ooo, I'm scared, yo!" Of course he had to put up a tough front. No proper street thug would be caught dead acting afraid of some little girl, even if that girl did resemble their old boss and she did speak with such a commanding tone. Even the other two Scarves took a step back at it.

The girl didn't seem very phased by the men. She started forward a couple of steps before she darted closer and delivered a swift uppercut to the man speaking. Apparently pretty hard too, considering the man tumbled over like he had been hit by a bag of bricks. The other Scarves hesitated for a second before they jumped towards the girl. But that small amount of time was enough for her to slip past them with a small stumble, grab Mikado's hand, and run.

For a girl that looked so unsteady in her heels, she ran pretty fast. Unsure if they were being chased or not, the two dodged through people, ducked around corners, and weaved along sidewalks until they both had to stop for breath. There was a moment of silence as they two doubled over and clutched their knees, but as soon as they could breathe they both burst into laughter over their narrow escape.

When the laughter died down, the girl leaned her back against the building with a happy sigh and reached down to start adjusting her shoes. Mikado gave a faint blush and looked away, feeling like he was acting rude. "Th-Thank you for saving me. You really helped me out back there." He glanced back to see the girl wave him off and roll her eyes.

"Don't mention it!" But then her eyes narrowed playfully and she added. "Really, don't mention it. It would ruin my reputation." From her snickers it was supposed to be a joke but Mikado didn't quite understand it so he only gave a slightly pained smile. This didn't seem to bother her as she continued, "I'm Kishimei Mina but call me Mina! I saw you in that alley and I just had to come to the rescue, you know. You're lucky you got a tough girl like me! Who are you?"

"Ryuugamine Mikado," he answered with a nervous-sounding laugh as he reached around to rub the back of his head. Mina liked to talk with her hands, Mikado noticed, and her hyper personality and the way she spoke with absolute confidence reminded him of Masaomi. They did look similar… But Masaomi didn't have the womanly curves Mina did nor did he have boobs, which were clearly there. Not as large as Anri's bust but certainly not small.

"Checking me out, Mikado-kun?" the girl asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Mikado flushed darkly as he realized he had been caught in his assessment. "N-No!" he quickly said, shaking his hands in a flustered motion. "I w-wasn't! I was j-just—"

"At least buy me dinner first!" Mina grinned in amusement as she watched her new friend freak out over his blunder. "I'm new to town, you know, and I don't know any good places to eat. Plus, I've heard this town is dangerous and you have to protect a young, innocent girl like me. Now c'mon, I'm starving and I heard there a sushi place with a Russian chef!" She started walking towards Russian Sushi before Mikado could protest so he had no choice but to follow with a small smile.

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><p>[<em>Today was my first day back in Ikebukuro and I can honestly say, "It's good to be back!" There's just one problem: Walking around a city in heels is a pain. Literally. Man, my feet hurt so badly! I spent most of the day walking around trying to find Anri or Mikado. Mostly Mikado. I saw Anri walking around with some girl but Mikado wasn't with them and I didn't want to go and say hi to someone that wouldn't know me. It was nerve-wrecking being out in 'Bukuro dressed like that. I constantly thought someone would recognize me. I mean, my disguise was good but I don't think I did enough to cover myself. And wearing a dress had me feeling odd and uncomfortable in such a familiar setting.<em>

_Anyway… I did find Mikado._

_He was being harassed by a few Yellow Scarves. I'm no longer the leader so I'm not in charge of them, but boy was I pissed. Whoever the new leader is, they need to start controlling their members more! Mikado looked scared so I stepped in. So… Do women normally hall off and punch people? I sure hope so. Either way we ran. _

_It was just like old times! _

_As soon as we got around corners and were far enough away, we started laughing. God I missed Mikado. He didn't seem to recognize me, which was good. We ended up going to Russian Sushi and even Simon didn't notice who I was. Man~ My disguise must be perfect! We chatted a bit, exchanged phone numbers, and talked about Raira, which I'll be starting at again soon._

_I totally owe that guy for forging my paperwork. Without that I would have been screwed. Good thing I know people._

_So for my first day back in Ikebukuro, everything went wonderfully. I'm determined to stay by my friend's side even if I have to wear that stupid dress forever! After my mistake with Saki, I really don't think it's possible to leave him again. But I'm afraid we might end up like Shizuo and Izaya if I just waltz back in here like nothing happened. Granted we wouldn't be as violent but I really don't want him hating me. He's my best friend… I don't think I could stand that._]

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><p>Izaya couldn't help but laugh as he slipped out of a back alley and mingled back in with the naïve people of the city. He had just escaped another brawl with Shizuo that had destroyed a good portion of the street. Of course the sneaky man had not a bruise to show for it. Shizuo probably had a cut or two. But the street was ruined completely. Oh how he loved his fights with Ikebukuro's local monster!<p>

But now that it was over, Izaya had nothing left to do besides head back to Shinjuku. Of course that didn't sound too appealing to him.

That's when he saw it. Mikado walking down the street with a girl in a yellow dress. Izaya was not stupid by any means. It took him only a second to realize that it wasn't a girl. Even better than that, it was Kida Masaomi in a full female getup. Dress, heels, and even what looked like a padded bra. Despite being in a crowd, Izaya stopped dead still on the street, the person behind him narrowly avoiding hitting him. Then he started cackling.

Thinking about it for a moment, he realized he had enough money saved up that he could take some time off work. After all, it was about time for him to pursue some of his hobbies. And finding out just why Masaomi was in a dress would be a great way to get some of his energy back. Oh this was just too much fun! And he would never let Masaomi live it down.


	3. Chapter 2

_Masaomi stood in front of his full length mirror, the corner of his right eye twitching as he stared at his reflection. He may have been the only one in his apartment, but that didn't stop him from blushing. He was, after all, wearing a yellow, knee length dress… Granted, he didn't look too bad in it for a guy. He didn't know if it was good to have curves or not, but he did. He didn't know if it was good to have hot legs for a guy, but again, he did. _

"_Oh boy…" Grimacing slightly, he tugged at the front of the dress, attempting to make it longer. Instead it just came up more in the back. He felt so awkward at the moment, but he knew he would have to get used to this if things were going to work according to his plan._

_In order for things to work, Masaomi had to go all out. It wasn't just the yellow dress he was wearing, but yellow heels and a slightly padded bra so he looked more womanly. His hair was still the usual style, though he had taken off his clip-on earrings and exchanged them for real ones. In other words, he had pierced his ears as well. As much as he still looked like Kida Masaomi, he also looked completely different with the new outfit, boobs, and a light dusting of makeup. Hopefully no one would be able to tell the difference since it had been quite some time since his last visit to Ikebukuro…_

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><p>March 9th<p>

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><p>Mikado yawned as his class ended and break started. He shifted sideways in his seat and stretched, feeling tired since he stayed up half the night texting with Mina. The girl was interesting and while their conversations were often odd they were funny nonetheless. Everyone in the class either left or they spent some time hanging around and chatting. Mikado gave a small wave to Anri as she left to go eat lunch but he wasn't feeling very hungry so he didn't follow.<p>

After all, things for them were a bit awkward now.

But it seemed it wasn't Mikado's day to be alone. As soon as Anri was gone, Mina peeked into the room and waved before she skipped over to him with a cheerful, "Hello stranger!" Mikado blinked but vaguely remembered something about the ninth being her first day at the school. Grinning, Mina hopped and sat on the desk right Mikado, swinging her legs until she seemed to realize that wasn't a good idea to be doing in a skirt. "Don't look so surprised, Mikado-kun. I told you I would come to your class." She reached out and patted his head with a laugh.

"R-Right, sorry," he said with a smile. "I just thought you would have gone to get lunch."

Mina shrugged as she swayed back and forth instead of kicking her feet. "I would rather spend time with you," she said brightly before sighing melodramatically while placing the back of her hand against her forehead. "You don't know what it's like to be the new girl at school! It's horrible, I tell you! No one treats you well and you feel like you have no friends. All the conversations are horribly awkward." With a gasp she turned to Mikado and locked him with a horrified gaze as she took his shoulders and gently shook him. "Nobody understands me, Mikado-kun!" Then she let go and gave a short sigh. "It's really horrible."

Mikado couldn't help but laugh at her bubbling energy. "Is it really that bad?" he asked.

To which he got an immediate, "Of course! Do you think I was overreacting or something?" They both chuckled at that.

"So Mina-chan, what was your old school like then?" Mikado decided to ask.

For some reason the girl stiffened a bit. "Um… It was kinda like this one," she said slowly, as if choosing her words carefully. "Kind of but not really, if you know what I mean." It seemed like she didn't want to talk about that, because she quickly turned to Mikado and asked, "We've been talking a lot but I hardly know anything about you. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"Hm… There's not much to tell," Mikado answered with an embarrassed laugh. "I've lived in Saitama my whole life until I moved here to go to Raira with an old friend of mine. Kida Masaomi. You remind me of him a little bit, but he left awhile ago. Basically, I've been trying to live here as unnoticeable as possible. What about you?"

Mina seemed to hang on his every word until the question about herself popped up. Then she turned away and shrugged. "Um… You know, I'm not that interesting," she said quickly. Turning back to him with a bright smile she added, "Why don't you introduce me to a few of your friends here? I'm sure a guy like you must be pretty popular with the ladies, am I right?"

"Oh, n-not really…"

Mikado noticed how easily she dismissed information on herself and it made him wonder. Just what was in the girl's past that she didn't want to go into detail about? But he knew he had no right to wonder that. After all, there were a lot of things in his past he wouldn't tell Mina. There was a lot of things in his present he wouldn't tell her either.

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><p>[<em>Today was my first day at Raira. Or Mina's first day, anyway. I'm still in the same class and I felt so nervous! People kept glancing at me and I thought the whole school knew who I was. They had to! But they didn't. Heh, I'm telling you, I'm good when it comes to hiding my identity.<em>

_I went to Mikado's class to eat lunch with him and happened to pass right by Anri. She didn't notice me but then again she was completely in love with me as Masaomi so maybe looking at the girl version of me was just too much for her to handle. Funny thing, though. I thought she would grab her lunch and come back up to eat with Mikado but she never did. I wonder if they're fighting or something._

_So it was just Mikado and I sitting there talking. You know, it's really hard to get used to a dress. I keep thinking it'll be fine if I sit with my legs open or kick my feet but as soon as I feel a draft… Dang! I really have to be more careful with that. I guess I really didn't plan things out well. Mikado asked about Mina's past and her old school which I never thought about. It was a good thing I changed the subject pretty quick. And that Mikado was never one to pry into someone's life. The kid's a little dense but that's okay. I did find out something, though. _

_Despite all my teachings, he's still horribly awkward around woman._

_Not just Mina but according to him he's not popular with the ladies AT ALL. Can you believe that? I tried so hard to teach him everything I knew but none of it wore off on him! I must be a failure as a teacher._

_After that the rest of the school day was just awkward. I couldn't go to the bathroom because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use the girls' room or the boys' room. It was just easier to wait until I got home. And don't get me started about gym class. Every boy's dream is to spend time in the girls' locker room. But they never think about what would happen if they're actually there. I don't mind joking or wishing I could be there while hot girls change around me, but dude, I'm not some sick peeping tom. I ended up changing in the bathroom and then sat there the rest of the time facing my locker with my head ducked, not looking up._

_That wasn't the only thing that made it awkward. I was ogled all day. I had boys in the hall looking me up and down like a piece of meat. Even one of the teachers! It was the same one that had been bothering Anri before. Needless to say I gave him the dirtiest look I could. If he comes near me I'm kicking his ass. Not like he wouldn't get a surprise when he saw under the skirt anyway. _

_After school Mikado walked me home with Anri. He looked pretty cool escorting around two girls but he seemed really nervous. So did Anri. I think something must have happened to them because they hardly talked the whole time. Mikado introduced me, we said hello, and the rest of the walk was in silence. Maybe they really did get into a fight. Who knows? Maybe they just grew apart. But she left and then we went over to Russian Sushi for a quick snack before I headed home. It was a good first day besides the awkwardness._]

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><p>Izaya stood outside the school gates of Raira when the bell rang to dismiss the students. He wasn't treating this like a real job, so he didn't bother disguising himself. He was merely tailing the two kids for fun. And what fun it was. Masaomi had even enrolled in Raira as a girl, so when he walked out with Mikado and Anri, he was in the female uniform. Smirking wickedly, Izaya pushed off the wall and followed the trio.<p>

Things were awkward between the kids, that much was obvious.

"Anri-chan, this is Kishimei Mina. Mina-chan, this is Sonohara Anri," Mikado introduced while they walked. The two girls bowed to each other and murmured some uncomfortable conversation before Anri had to go, then the tension seemed to leave with her.

They headed to Russian Sushi for a bite to eat and Izaya slipped in with them. He was soon sitting in the back corner with a magazine in front of his face like someone from those old spy movies. Kishimei Mina, huh? So that's what Masaomi was going by. The information broker could easily guess why Masaomi was dressed up like that since it was no big secret Mikado had told him to leave. The boy merely wanted to get close to his friend again without being dismissed. But now Izaya was curious. Would Mikado find out? Did he already know? If not, what would he do when he realized the truth? This story had so much intrigue to it and Izaya didn't want to miss a single thing.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **All I have to say is: School is a pain in the butt. Anyway, 'tis Monday so here's another chapter. Review? Hungry authors need reviews. Let me know if anyone likes the story so far.

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><p>"<em>I wonder what's going to happen…" Masaomi muttered as he rested on his couch, the silence in his empty apartment giving him the odd urge to talk out loud. He was wearing a skirt and small heels in an attempt to get used to them, thankful there was no one to comment about it. He sighed and put his chin on the palm of his hand, ankles crossed lightly. "I mean… I won't be Masaomi. I'll be Mina. So what if he doesn't like me? And I won't be able to do the same things I did before with him. It's not like I can say, hey! Let's go play video games!"<em>

_Now that he was thinking about it… Masaomi sat up a bit, frowning. "Wouldn't I have to change my personality too? After all, he's known me since grade school. I mean, sure, he's not the brightest kid ever, but he's not stupid. If I start acting like myself he'll know. And I'll have to work on my voice too!" _

"_What have I gotten myself into?" He let out an, "Ugh!" of frustration, hands coming up to lightly tug on his hair. Then he glanced down and realized his legs were open, the black lace panties showing to anyone that might have been in front of him. Thankfully, again, his apartment was empty and he quickly closed his legs, slumping back into the couch. "I won't change my personality. If he suspects that it's me then he does, but I'm not going to change. And of course he'll like me. I'm still his friend, just in woman's clothing. I wonder, though… How far this will go…?"_

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><p>March 11th<p>

* * *

><p>"E-Erm, Mina-chan…?"<p>

This was probably a very bad idea. Mikado's mind screamed at him to shut up before he got too far ahead of himself, but something else screamed at him to continue. Mina, who had been chatting cheerfully about surviving the week at school, paused and gave him a smile to show she was listening now. Mikado gulped, his steps pausing on the sidewalk. With a frown, Mina stopped in front of him, facing him with her hands clasped behind her back as she bounced up and down on her heels. wobbling slightly each time.

"Yes~, Mikado-kun?"

The two friends were walking home from school on Friday, with a very lonely weekend looming ahead for Mikado. He had been tossing around an idea in his head for a while now, but he was starting to think better of it. Not only was he feeling highly nervous but he was remembering what happened after Anri and him started dating. That had been a disaster…

But Mikado wasn't the overly nervous little boy he had been years ago. After Masaomi left, a lot of things had happened.

Mina was a sweet girl. She made him laugh and smile. Not to mention he felt like he had his old friend back. Not that the last part had anything to do with dating her.

Uh oh… She was starting to give him a worried look. How long had he been standing there stupidly?

"W-Will you go to the movies with me tomorrow?" he blurted out so she didn't think something was wrong with him.

For a second Mina merely stared before she put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "You were so nervous over that?" She walked over to him and slung an arm around his shoulder, leading him off once again. "Of course! I have nothing else planned." At first Mikado was amazed by how easily she answered him but then it dawned on him: Mina must have thought they were only going at friends.

"U-Um… Th-That's not what m-meant…" he stuttered as he allowed the girl to lead him away, though reluctantly. This time it was Mina that stopped to look at him, blinking at his words and tilting her head curiously. Mikado blushed. "I-I meant a… Um… A…" Now that she was staring at him like that, he couldn't seem to find the words for what he wanted. Even though so much had happened, he was still as awkward as ever around girls.

"A date?" Mina finished for him. Her ever-present smile seemed to fade a bit as Mikado nodded timidly. For a moment he was terrified that she would say no to him and echo his thoughts on how much of a bad idea it was to date. Mikado nervously fondled the strap of his shoulder bag as Mina thoughtfully gazed off at the people walking past them, barely paying the teenagers any mind. Then she returned her attention to Mikado and smiled. "I would love to."

March 12th

"S-Sorry, have you been waiting long?"

Mikado arrived at the movie theater only to find Mina already there, standing outside in a pink and yellow sundress with the yellow wedges she always wore outside of her school uniform. It was casual, and Mikado was very glad he chose to only wear his usual jacket and a pair of jeans. After all, he didn't want to dress too fancy for a simple movie date. He was feeling horribly nervous. The last date he went on was with Anri and look how that turned out.

But Mina just turned and offered the boy a large smile as she shook her head and looped her arm through Mikado's. "Not at all! I just got here. C'mon! There's this romantic comedy out that looked awesome. After all, you're supposed to see whatever the girl wants to see, right?" She nudged him in the side, as if hinting at something. "And you're paying for my popcorn, okay?"

It was like the tension breaker. Mikado had no idea what to do and Mina, seeming to sense that, was directing him. Giving a small, thankful laugh, Mikado followed her in to pay for the tickets and popcorn as he had been instructed to do. A romantic comedy, huh? The boy had to snicker softly as he bought the tickets. He didn't mind seeing a chick flick. Masaomi used to drag him to see movies like that all the time. He considered it part of his "research" on women. In all honesty, seeing a romantic comedy was just another thing that relaxed Mikado.

Within five minutes of buying the ticket, the two were seated comfortably in the middle of the room in the big, cushy chairs of the theater as the lights dimmed and the movie started playing. Mina was slouched to one side, her chin on her palm with her eyes glued to the screen. Mikado had glanced over to make sure she wasn't bored but was reassured when her eyes never left the screen. Then he noticed her legs were wide open in a very un-ladylike position. Blushing, he nudged her and leaned over, kindly pointing it out and hoping she wouldn't get the wrong idea.

Mina just blinked and tore her eyes away from the screen to give him a small laugh as she pressed her knees together. "Thanks… I have a bad habit of doing that, don't I?" Then she went back to the movie as if not wanting to miss anything.

Mikado went back to the movie as well, but he was only half paying attention to it. As the guy, didn't he have a job to do? What does one do when they're on a date with a pretty girl they like? They definitely don't tell them to close their legs. The boy blushed as he tried to think of some way to repair the situation, at least in his mind. He glanced over at Mina, watching the lights of the movie flicker over her brown eyes. She was really pretty, especially with that small smile on her face. She was enjoying the show, right?

Biting his lip, it was then that he realized what dates normally do. It was in every movie and TV show. He had been stupid for not thinking of it before.

The boy shifted in his seat and yawned, stretching his arms above his head as he did so. Instead of bringing them right back down, he stretched out and went to wrap one arm around Mina's shoulders. The yawn-and-stretch thing, but halfway down he paused, finding he was too embarrassed to go through with the action. He pulled his arm back and used it to rub the back of his head instead, blushing fiercely at his fail. Instead he just folded his hands back in his lap and watched the rest of the movie in silence.

When the movie was over Mikado walked Mina home, smiling and still embarrassed but feeling as if things had gone okay. Mina was her usual, bouncy self as she talked about the movie, saying things like, "That guy was an idiot! Remember Mikado-kun, when a girl leaves you never let her go. If she says she wants to be alone, she's obviously lying. She just wants you to hold her. Remember that!"

It was such a relief that she was in high spirits. That meant the date went well, right? But when they stopped at Mina's apartment complex, she paused and turned to him without her usual smile. "Mikado-kun, I really had a lot of fun. But… Does this mean we're dating now? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" She seemed hesitant, which wasn't usual for her.

Mikado immediately laughed nervously and ran a hand through his hair. "I-I would really like that," he admitted with an embarrassed smile. "But I don't want to pressure you, Mina-chan. Only if you want to consider us that."

The girl seemed to think about his words for a minute, her lips pursed in thought. Mikado found himself wondering just what was going on in her mind but before he could even attempt to think too hard on it, Mina walked over and kissed his cheek. Her lips were soft against his skin and left a small smear of lip gloss that went momentarily unnoticed as the boy's eyes widened and he blushed. Without a word Mina hurried into her building, sending a wave over her shoulder. Mikado just stood there for a moment before smiling. He would take that for a yes.

* * *

><p>[<em>Yesterday I was asked out on a date. Yeah, sure, I make a hot chick and I kinda expected to get hit on, but I was asked out by Mikado. Mikado, of all people! I'm not sure what to think. To say that this situation didn't cross my mind would be a lie. I did think about it. What would happen if he honestly thought I was a girl and what would happen if he started to like me. But it was just a fleeting thought. What were the chances of that happening, right? But then again, what was the chance of him actually thinking I was a girl? What was the chance of him becoming friends with me again? There were so many "what if"s that I didn't think too much about them.<em>

_I guess I should have. I didn't think this through very well. _

_I went on the date, though. I remembered that time I was still with Saki and we were watching the news broadcast in Ikebukuro, the one where they were finding the cutest couple. Mikado and Anri were on there but Mikado looked like he was in complete and utter panic mode. When he got to the movie theater today it was almost the same. So I did whatever I could to help ease the tension. I don't mean to brag, but I'm awesome at doing stuff like that and it seemed to work._

_We saw a cute chick flick. Not because I like watching them or anything, but I have to be a girl. Girls like that sort of thing and watching the girls would help me with my own act, right? So don't judge. I'm still a hundred percent pure lady-killer material!_

_But it was a good movie. _

_I wish I could say Mikado was the perfect gentleman the whole time. I wish I could say he learned everything I taught him and put it to good use. But honestly he failed pretty epically. First he told me I was sitting with my dress wide open. That's not really something you should say to a lady, Mikado! What were you thinking? I wasn't sure how one would react to that but I was actually pretty grateful. I'm still not used to those dresses so instead of getting upset like a normal girl would, I just thanked him and closed my legs. _

_Dang that sounded dirty. _

_The next thing Mikado failed at was the yawn-and-stretch. I didn't know it was possible to screw that move up but my old buddy did it. I watched him from the corner of my eyes. He started out just fine but halfway across he stopped and chickened out. First rule of babes! When you start something; finish it! I must have been a failure of a teacher. No! He was just a failure of a student. _

_I'll give him credit for doing one thing right. He walked me home. Actually, the date wasn't that bad. The movie was good and I had fun watching Mikado's awkwardness. I really have missed my best friend. I guess we're dating now. Boyfriend and "girlfriend". It makes me happy thinking about it because I do love Mikado. And yes, I mean love. I realized it when he turned me away after I came back to Ikebukuro. The pain that felt wasn't the pain of losing your best friend; it was the pain of losing a whole lot more. Granted I didn't do all this to date him; I was just happy being close to him. But I'm not going to complain if that's what he wants to do._]

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><p>Chick flicks… Izaya was torn between watching the screen or staring at the two kids in the center of the theater. He had wanted to see this movie for some time now, but didn't have the time. Now that he had the chance he had two kids to babysit. In the end, however, the information broker was glad he ignored the movie as watched the two inexperienced daters.<p>

Izaya popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth and concentrated on Masaomi and Mikado, wondering just what was going through Masaomi's mind at the moment. Was he feeling guilty for leading his friend on? Probably not. Not yet anyway. Izaya knew how the blonde's mind worked better than most others did. Better than Masaomi himself. That's why it was so easy to manipulate the younger.

The informant's eyes never missed a thing. He saw when Mikado leaned over and Masaomi shifted his position so his knees were touching. He saw the way Mikado's shoulders hunched as he thought and then the way he stretched out an arm to wrap it around Masaomi only to chicken out at the last moment. It was ten times better than any movie and Izaya found himself snickering.

The humor only continued on their walk home, to which Izaya continued to tail them like a bloodhound locked on a scent trail. Ten steps behind them at all times, he smirked and paused only to watch the drama unfold at Masaomi's apartment. It was official. They were dating. But Mikado didn't know the ugly secret his 'girlfriend' hid. "This is so very interesting. What will happen when Mikado-kun finds out…?" Smirking, he turned and headed home. He had chess pieces to move around on his board. Things were changing and relationships were different now. He had to plot that and plan his next move.


	5. Chapter 4

_****_**A/N:  
>'Tis Monday, so here's another chapter. Read, enjoy, and review.<strong>

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><p><em>Masaomi grimaced as he wobbled in his heels, clutching the doorknob to his room so he didn't tip over. As a girl, he would have to know how to walk. He had to have the swagger. But most of all, he had to have the heels. He was wearing the only girly pair of shoes he owned, which happened to be a yellow pair of wedges. They hurt, in all honesty. The straps rubbed against his skin and walking on his toes was harder than he thought. He had to give those girls credit…<em>

_He let go of the doorknob and wobbled there for a moment, his hands flailing at his sides until he caught his balance. Then he attempted to walk. Three steps later he was clinging to the wall, eye twitching violently. He was the leader of the Yellow Scarves! He was tough! He could do anything! Except walking in heels apparently. It took him hours until he could walk around without tipping over every five steps. Even then he was still shaky in a way a real girl never would be. But he was okay for the moment. Now came the dangerous and mortifying part. _

_Stairs. _

_That meant he had to leave his apartment in heels and walk up and down the stairs between the first and second level. He had to deal with neighbors staring at him as he tried not to fall down the stairs. Within five minutes he had a group of people surrounding the first landing and the second landing, watching and snickering at him. It wasn't all that bad, though. There were woman there too, and while they thought he was practicing for a drag queen beauty show, they had no problem giving him pointers._

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><p>March 17th<p>

* * *

><p>Spring days were truly beautiful in Ikebukuro. The trees weren't blossoming yet and the air held a bit of a chill, but only enough to make the otherwise hot day fairly comfortable. That's exactly why Mikado had suggested cutting through the park on their way home. Neither had very much homework and it seemed everyone was outside to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather.<p>

They spotted Shizuo and Celty on one of the overpasses, gently leaning against the rail with Shizuo doing most of the talking, of course. Celty would occasionally type something on her PDA that made Shizuo laugh but that was pretty much it. Simon seemed more cheerful than usual as he handed out flyers to terrified passer-bys, but he didn't seem to mind as they grabbed the flyer and scurried off in fear. Two younger girls skipped by, chatting about the ever popular Yuuhei Hanejima. It seemed the weather had a positive effect on everyone.

"Ah, today is a perfect day!" Mina sighed happily, one hand waving through the air to accent her words while the other was twined with Mikado's. "Just look! Everyone is out today! Ah!" She looked to side and grinned mischievously. "Look at those hot girls-!" Mikado blinked and turned to give her a confused look but Mina quickly smiled and laughed in an embarrassed way. "H-Hot girls. They look hot in this weather, poor things! Why? What did you think I would say, Mikado-kun?"

"Eh…" Mikado, looking as confused as before, was about to say something before a call from across the park distracted him.

"Ryuugamine-kun~! Ryuugamine-kun~!"

The couple turned to see a girl wearing all black waving her hand off while surrounded by three other people. Mikado's look wiped away as he waved back and started to lead Mina over. "I forgot to introduce you to them," he told the girl. "Don't worry, they're a bit odd but you'll get used to them. Karisawa-chan! Good afternoon!" When they reached the group he gave them a small bow, which wasn't returned. The four weren't very traditional.

"Good afternoon, Ryuugamine-kun. Masaomi-kun~"

She was met with the stares of Mikado and Mina before Mina broke out in nervous giggles. "I'm sorry, Karisawa-chan, but I think you have me mistaken for someone else," she explained with a somewhat forced smile. "I'm Kishimei Mina and I'm new to town. But it's nice to meet you."

It was her turn to stare, and this time Walker leaned over and joined her. Mikado, as confused as ever, glanced between the three and tried to piece together what was going on.

"Ah, I get it now!" Erika sudden burst out, making the boy jump. "It's like Kuroshitsuji when Ciel investigates the Jack the Ripper case and has to go to Viscount Druitt's party." She turned to her friend. "Remember that, Walker? It's like that, only "Mina" is Ciel and Ciel doesn't want to investigate Viscount Druitt, he wants get closer to him. Kya~ It's like a BL manga or something!"

Walker shook his head slowly. "Only you could see that, I swear…"

"It's okay, Mina-chan, we'll help you!" Erika darted forward and took the other girl's hands, eyes sparkling with an otaku gleam as Mina went to take an uncomfortable step back. "I'm Karisawa Erika and that's Yumasaki Walker!"

There was a deep sigh from the tall male there as he watched the scene with his arms crossed. "I'm sorry if those two are bothering you," he said. "I'm Kadota Kyohei." He nodded to the other guy there, who looked to be hardly paying attention as he yawned. "And that's Togusa Saburo." The distracted man looked up and waved a bit.

"But you can call Kadota Dotachin!" Erika chimed in.

The man in question glared. "Do _not_ call me Dotachin."

"A-Ah, nice to meet you all!" Mina said with a quick bow as she pulled her hands back from Erika. "I'm sure we'll be good friends. But we should be going now, okay? Bye!" She hooked one arm through Mikado's and started dragging him away with strained laughter. "Heh, you're right Mikado-kun! Those guys are a bit strange! Very, very strange…"

"They can be a little much sometimes," Mikado admitted, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. He still didn't understand what was going on back there. "But they're good people at heart. I can see where Erika-chan would make the mistake, though. You do remind me of Masaomi-kun."

Mina seemed to increase her pace and Mikado stumbled to keep up with her. "R-Really now? I've only heard his name a couple of times. Maybe someday you can tell me about him! He seems like a really nice person!" she said quickly. "I'm sure if he was your friend, Mikado-kun, he's very—" Her sentence was suddenly cut off as her heel caught on an uneven edge of the sidewalk. She pitched forward with a yelp, full expecting to face-plant into the concrete. But a pair of strong arms came out of nowhere and pulled her up quickly. When Mina opened her eyes she was face to face and pressed up against Mikado.

"M-Mina-chan, are you okay?"

Eyes wide and stunned, Mina nodded mutely, her hands resting on Mikado's chest. They were very, very close. For the moment it was like time had stopped. Hesitantly and slowly, Mina leaned forward a bit. Mikado never realized he was doing the same thing until his lips touched the girl's in a light and tender kiss.

As soon as it happened it was over and both of them pulled back quickly, blushed and clearing their throats.

"A-Anyway… I-I'm fine, Mikado-kun," Mina said, suddenly seeming very nervous. "Let's go get lunch, okay?" Laughing softly but still embarrassed, Mikado nodded and boldly took her hand again. Mina didn't complain about the action so they started walking again, hand in hand.

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><p>[<em>A lot has happened today. And by a lot I mean a LOT! Mikado suggested cutting through the park on our way home from school today. It was a great idea. After all, it was warm out and the weather was perfect. Everyone was out today, so you wouldn't think we would get in too much trouble, right? Wrong.<em>

_As Mina, there were only four people I haven't met. Erika, Walker, Kadota, and Togusa. I met them today and things turned out horribly. Erika, for one thing, saw right past my disguise. I guess I'm lucky she's a bright girl, because she understood that no one was supposed to know it was me. I'm just wondering what she's thinking of me since she saw me wandering around in a dress. _

_I made sure to flee that scene as quickly as possible._

_Maybe a little too quickly. Those heels are a damn pain! I tripped but Mikado, being the perfect gentleman he was, caught me before I could smash my face into the pavement. That would have been pretty embarrassing. _

_I'm honestly not sure what happened next. He had pulled me really close and then the next moment we were kissing. It was just light and pretty quick, but that's not really the point. We had kissed. Mikado and I kissed! If I thought falling in front of a park full of people was embarrassing, this was worse on so many levels. But hey, you know… He's not that bad. For something so fleeting, he was pretty sweet. And his lips were soft. _

_But that's not the point!_

_Or is it…? What was the point again? Ah, I give up. I'm going to bed._]

* * *

><p>Izaya slowly lowered the newspaper he had in front of his face, taking a quick, suspicious glance at Shizuo. The blonde was thankfully oblivious to his presence for once while he talked with the Black Rider. Perfect… Izaya then looked over at the two kids, who were now making a quick retreat from Erika and the others. At least <em>someone<em> in Ikebukuro was smart enough to realize it was Masaomi in that dress! The informant had a whole new respect for the otaku.

He continued to watch, of course, snickering when Masaomi's heel caught and he tripped. Someone needed more practice~ But things worked out. The two kids ended up lip locked for a second before hurrying off, both blushing like crazy. "Ah… Young love," Izaya sighed in a falsely dreamy voice. He folded his newspaper, threw it into the trashcan next to his bench, and started after the two kids once again.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: So sorry this is late! I've been sick. Please forgive me? As always, read, enjoy, and review. I like to hear what people like and don't like.**

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><p><em>Masaomi wandered through the shopping mall of Kyoto, bags packed on his arm holding dresses and makeup. Hopefully no one realized the bags were from stores that no self-respecting teenage boy would shop at. Last stop: jewelry shop. He had some business there that he wasn't looking forward to. So when he went in he spent quite a bit of time browsing wears before getting down to business.<em>

_That's when he saw it. It was a fairly simple silver band, unremarkable because of its lack of gemstones and other ordinance. Instead, the thick bad had words inscribed on the outside: _

_**Supreme rule of life is to**_

_**adapt without compromising.**_

_Calling the clerk over, Masaomi asked to see the ring. It reminded him painfully of Mikado… Turning it over in his hands, he slipped it on his middle finger, remembering that Mikado's fingers were about as big as his own. Analyzing it some more, he noticed the __**–Georg Simmel**__ carved into the inside and he remembered Mikado saying something about him being some German philosopher. That would be the perfect present for Mikado's eighteenth birthday…_

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><p>March 21st<p>

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><p>Limone Café was a quiet little place Raira students often went to after school to hang out or study. The atmosphere was peaceful and the tea was cheap yet tasteful, and Mikado and Mina often stopped by to chat about their day. Or, in Mikado's case, his failure in gym class.<p>

"It's bad enough they always pick me last but then to actually pass me the ball and expect it to go very far?" He sighed and sipped at his green tea with a reminiscent smile, as if the embarrassment didn't bother him. Mina was listening over her glass of lemonade, snickering every now and then. Probably picturing her boyfriend attempting to play basketball. "That's why I prefer my computer. You won't get hit in the face. Twice." Mina covered her mouth and giggled, looking highly amused at the thought. Even though she was clearly laughing at him, Mikado couldn't help but feel fluttery because he had made her happy. "But how was your day, Mina-chan?"

She perked up and sighed dramatically. "Boring!" she announced. "We started a classic novel in my English class, which is interesting so far but the rest of my classes made me want to cry from the lack of entertainment. I really wish we at least had the same homeroom. Maybe then I wouldn't be so alone!"

Mikado laughed softly. "I wish I could help you, honestly."

"It's okay, I guess… Oh!"

She suddenly paused and started digging through her bag while Mikado watched with a confused look. Sometimes Mina's emotions could change so quickly it made him worry. He wondered, not for the first time, just what her past was like. She often avoided it. Maybe it was something bad… Before Mikado's thoughts could go much further, Mina brought out a small box with a bow on it and handed it to him, grinning. "I almost forgot. Happy birthday, Mikado-kun!"

Blinking and feeling even more confused, Mikado took the box and turned it over in his hands, feeling the black, velvety surface while staring at his girlfriend. "Mina-chan… How did you know it was my birthday?" he asked, cocking his head lightly to one side. Honestly, even he had forgotten it was his eighteenth birthday, as stupid as that sounded. It was something he didn't tell many people or even keep track of himself. Sure, eighteen was a big milestone, but to him it was any other day.

Mina let out a small, "Eh…" as she fidgeted. "I-It's really your birthday, Mikado-kun? W-Wow!" She quickly smiled. "I was just saying that because I had a present for you. I saw it and thought of you so… Heh. What a coincidence that it's your birthday. That's so cool. You should have told me, Mikado-kun! I would have felt bad if I didn't get you anything."

"Well thank you," Mikado said sincerely, giving her a small bow of his head. "I even forgot it was my birthday until you mentioned it." Mina smiled brightly, watching him as he opened the box and took a few beats to stare at the ring tucked inside the velvet. Then he pulled it out, reading the inscription before slipping it on his middle finger. "Mina-chan… This is perfect." He looked up at her, meeting her eyes and making her blush and shift hers down. "How did you know? This is my favorite quote and I really admire Simmel-sama's philosophy."

Mina looked back up with a happy smile, even her bronze eyes smiling at him. "I'm glad you like it, Mikado-kun! I… Remembered you mentioning something about him so when I saw this I couldn't resist. Now I'm really happy I got it since it's your birthday." She winked playfully. "But now you owe me, Mikado-kun~ Since you didn't tell me your birthday after all."

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><p><em>I can't believe Mikado had forgotten his birthday! The look on his face when I handed him his present said it all. It had completely spaced his mind. Now, had I been there as myself, I would have spread the word and started a whole surprise party for him. He would have never let something so important slip! But I can't do that as Mina so I had to settle for that ring I saw for him.<em>

_I just made one little mistake. _

_He never told Mina his birthday._

_Boy did I have to think quickly on that one! But you know, I must be a pretty good liar. I've been coming up with things off the top of my head and getting by just fine. It helps that my friend is a bit on the dense side. Love ya, buddy, but honestly. I guess all that matters was that he believed me and loved his present. Of course! I had really out done myself with that one. I hope he enjoys it._

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><p>Aw… Young love. Izaya was hidden in the back of the room behind his laptop screen, peeking up every so often to watch the two's private time before going back to his conversation on the Dollars' IM. So it was Mikado's birthday… How sweet that Masaomi still got him a present, even when he was supposed to be someone else. And by Mikado's reaction, it was a good present to. It was a pity he wasn't close enough to see what was on that ring. Something about Simmel… The German philosopher?<p> 


	7. Chapter 6

_****_**A/N: Ugh, sorry about missing last Monday. I've been sick for awhile now and I'm still not feeling up to par. But since I missed last week, I'm posting two chapters for you guys. I'm also working on another Wesker/Chris fanfiction. Currently, they're my OTP.**

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><p><em>Masaomi cocked his head to the right, staring at the dress hanging on the rack in front of him. Then he cocked his head to the left, as if that would change the view. Finally, he sighed and caught the attention of a young worker in the boutique. "Um… Ma'am, do you think this dress would go well with yellow wedges?"<em>

_She blinked at him, raising an eyebrow before smacking her gum and turning to the dress with crossed arms. "Yellow wedges, you say? Mmm… Dunno. I think this would go better with sandals. If you're looking for something to match with wedges, you should look at these." Masaomi, terribly embarrassed to be in this situation, followed the girl to another section of the store to look at a black, fancier dress with a yellow belt around the middle. But it was shorter than the one Masaomi had been looking at and it had a slit down the side. "I think this would go nice with a yellow headband, but I guess it depends on your girlfriend's taste." _

_Masaomi sighed. "It's not for my girlfriend…" he muttered. "What size do you think would fit me?"_

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><p>March 23rd<p>

* * *

><p>Nervousness. Mikado had felt this before when going on his first date with Anri to the movies, only he was younger and shyer back then. The boy couldn't help but think of how much he had done in the time between that first date and the current date he was going on with Mina. He had successfully run a gang—two in fact—stabbed a boy in the hand with a pen specifically bought for that purpose, he had ditched one gang, he had—Okay, he had done a lot. Maybe it wasn't the best time to be thinking of all that. After all, he was on a nice little date with his new girlfriend and violence shouldn't be brought up on a proper—<p>

"Earth to Mikado-kun~"

"H-Huh?"

Blinking, Mikado found Mina waving a hand in front of his face, a grin on hers. He realized he had completely spaced out while walking with her and blushed darkly. "A-Ah, I'm so sorry! I just got lost in thought."

The girl covered her mouth and giggled before shaking her head and waving him off. "No, no! It's fine. You're _always_ lost in thought, Mikado-kun. I find it a bit cute in an endearing way." Of course, Mikado didn't bother pointing out that cute and endearing were the same thing.

It was around eight, but Ikebukuro was still bustling with activity. Neon signs lit up the night and the streets were as crowded as ever, but for two people used to city life it was nothing. Mina, as requested of Mikado, wore something a bit on the fancier side. She had on a stunning black and yellow dress with a yellow headband and her usual yellow heels. Mikado was quickly catching the pattern of his girlfriend's dressing style. Mikado had also dressed nicely with a green, button-up shirt, a black blazer and black slacks. Though having to wear something more formal only made him think of this as something important to stress over.

Especially with Mina looking so pretty.

"Mikado-kun, you're spacing out again. Yoohoo~! So where are we going? You never told me." As Mina laughed and hugged his arm, Mikado was back in the present once again and laughing nervously as they walked.

"It's a surprise," he said. "Trust me, you'll like it."

The girl already seemed to enjoy the thought of a surprise as she walked along next to him, wearing that bright grin that never seemed to disappear. "Oh, you're making me nervous, Mikado-kun! How horrible of you! To make a poor girl like me wait on the edge of her seat to find out where we're having this date. No knowledge but forced to dress up. So mean!"

Laughing, Mikado didn't bother getting flustered or apologizing to her. He knew by then when Mina was joking and when she was serious.

The duo ended up outside of a fancy building, one that high school students would never think of entering unless their parents were paying for the meal. The Cat's Eye Café was said to be the best Italian restaurant in Ikebukuro. Mina seemed a bit stunned as she walked through the door but Mikado only smiled and held it for her. He had been saving up his money lately—for what he wasn't too sure but now he was glad he had done so—and used his reserves to treat his date to the best night possibly.

He wouldn't be able to do this too often, but once in awhile wouldn't be too bad.

"Mikado-kun, don't you think this is a little too much?" the girl asked, leaning over to whisper it to him as the maître de glanced at them rather skeptically.

But Mina's own suspicion went ignored as Mikado smiled. "Reservation for two under Ryuugamine."

The man, suited in nicely tailored tux, nodded and led the two off to a table in the back. Mina looked more than a little stunned as she looked around the place, and for good reason. It was fancy. It was expensive. And was that Yuuhei Hanejima eating over there?

"A waiter will be with you in a moment."

Mikado pulled Mina's chair out for her, allowing her to sit down before taking his own seat. He attempted to seem calm and collected. Not at all like the nervous high school student he felt like. "I thought we could use a little treat," he said with a smile as he looked over the candlelight at the blonde. For a moment he was stunned by the effect of the light on her hair and eyes, making her glow before he had to look away and clear his throat with a blush.

He was so awkward with romantic settings.

"I'm really flattered, Mikado-kun, but this is really expensive." Mina opened her menu and choked slightly at the prices.

Having already looked the prices up himself, the boy wasn't even fazed when he glanced at the food. "I know it is, but like I said, I wanted to do something nice for us. Don't worry so much about the prices, just order whatever you want."

The waitress came to take their order, long dark hair over her shoulder as she smirked at them. "Good evening, sirs. What can I get for you tonight?" The orders were taken quickly, Mina ordering nothing but a salad and French onion soup while Mikado requested mushroom risotto. Jotting it down, the cheerful waitress turned on her heel and went back to the kitchen, leaving the kids alone again.

"Mina-chan, you could have ordered more if you wanted to," Mikado commented after a moment, giving the girl a worried look. Mina was never one to really hold back when it came to food, but he knew how girls could be. One moment they were fine and the next it was diets and health-craze. "If you're watching your weight, you look perfect already. I don't think you have to."

His words seemed to catch Mina off guard and she blinked before her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to say I'm too skinny?"

Mikado quickly realized his mistake and shook his head. "No, no!" he assured. "I just think it's odd when you're ordering something considered diet food when you normally eat more. I… Um…Right?"

Mina's eyes narrowed. "So you're calling me fat?"

"No, no, no! I'm j-just—I d-didn't mean it, Mina-chan! I'm sorry—"

He was cut off when Mina suddenly relaxed and started laughing, waving off the stuttered and panicked apologies. "I'm just joking, Mikado-kun! Relax. But word to the wise, you shouldn't mention anything about a woman's food consumption or their weight. Things can get out of hand pretty quickly. Be lucky I'm not so easily offended!"

Mikado sagged back in his seat with a relieved sigh, thinking he had actually started a fight with his girlfriend. That could have turned out badly. "Ah… I'm really sorry Mina-chan. I'll remember that for next time." He searched for some way to make it up to her, and realized he had just the thing in his pocket. It had been his whole reason for proposing the date and finding somewhere so fancy. How could he have forgotten? "Um… H-Here… How about this for an apology?" He pulled out a long, black velvet necklace box. "It's not the best but I thought you might like it and you can put whatever you want in it."

Mina blinked and leaned forward, watching with wide eyes as Mikado opened the box and took out a silver locket. Standing up, he walked around the table to stand next to her so he could clip the locket around her neck and let it dangle carefully against her chest. He smiled as he watched Mina reach up to touch it, looking down and running her finger over the surface. "Wow…" she breathed, stunned. "Mikado-kun… I never expected this but thank you. It's beautiful."

"Don't mention it." Mikado went to sit back down with a smile on his face. "It looks perfect on you and I thought you would like it. After all, I did owe you for not saying anything about my birthday."

An embarrassed look crossed Mina's face, but Mikado was sure it was only because of the present. She looked good wearing the locket, too. It hung against her neck, flickering playfully in the candlelight.

Their food came, and the two ate with some light conversation, commenting on the quality of the food and laughing at all the small things that had been happening at school. The bill came and Mikado paid without letting Mina so much as look at it, denying telling her the price when she asked for it. They left, Mina whining playfully about how mean Mikado was while the boy still refused to tell her about the bill.

When they reached Mina's apartment, there was that awkward pause when both tried to think of something to say to end the wonderful night. She was the one that made the first move, giving him a sweet little smile. "Well, Goodnight, Mikado-kun. I really had a fun time tonight."

"Me too," he said with a nod. Hesitating, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Mina's in a chaste goodnight kiss. Mina blinked softly but this time wasn't caught as off guard as the first one when she had tripped. This time she raised her arms and wrapped them around Mikado's neck, returning the kiss and for a moment they both stood there, lip-locked before parting with a small laugh.

"Goodnight again, Mikado-kun." Smiling, Mina stepped back, gave him a wave, and walked inside her complex, leaving behind a flustered but happy looking Mikado.

* * *

><p><em>Today I had a date. Well, it's not like it's anything new for me, of course! But this one felt a bit different. For one thing, I was told to dress up. You would be proud of me, future self, because I could have acted all offended and flustered Mikado, but the poor kid seemed so nervous in the first place so I resisted the urge.<em>

_You know, I think I'm getting used to wearing dresses. _

_Is that a good thing or should I be worried?_

_Not the point. Anyway, I dressed up like I was instructed to do and Mikado picked me up at the requested time. Actually, he was early and I was a bit late, but that didn't matter. We spent a bit of time chatting and walking around the city, but Mikado seemed a bit spacey the whole time, like he had other things on his mind. I was a bit concerned he was going to break up with me or something, but then he led me to this fancy restaurant. _

_Now, by fancy, I mean fancy. Expensive type of fancy. Fancy as in YUUHEI HANEJIMA was eating in the back corner. I swear Mikado must have cleared his whole savings account to take me there. It was nice but really, he shouldn't have done that. I worry about him. What if he had to skip meals just to take me there? I should find out his bank account information and transfer money in there. I'm sure Izaya would know, but like hell I'm going to that bastard for anything. _

_Speaking of Izaya, the waitress could have been his long lost sister or something. Creepy…_

_Not the point. _

_Despite the price it was a nice evening. I got to mess with Mikado a little bit when he told me I should eat more. You should have seen his face! _

_Oh, and he gave me something. I'm still wearing it, in fact. I guess that joke about him owing me for his birthday present got a little out of hand, because he went out and bought me a locket. It's nothing too fancy but it's not costume jewelry either. Now, don't start thinking I'm some sentimental woman just because I have jewelry from my boyfriend. I actually really like it and I already know what picture I'm going to put in it. The one of us I have as the background on my phone. And I noticed he was still wearing the ring that I gave him. He hasn't taken it off. I don't think this locket's going to be leaving my neck any time too soon either. _

_Geez, Mikado… You're such a dunce. But I have to love you anyway, you big, cuddly idiot._

* * *

><p>Izaya had to admit to himself, he was one clever bastard. Without much effort, he had disguised himself as a girl just like Masaomi and got a temporary job at the Italian place he heard Mikado talking about to Anri. Of course his act was much better than the amateur teen's. Masaomi almost did a double-take but that was about it. He could sit in the kitchen and watch the two without worrying about a thing.<p>

Besides getting fired for being lazy, but he had only been working as a temp for the night.

There was only one flaw in his plan and that was when he passed by a certain actor's table, pausing when he heard the polite yet stoic greeting of, "Orihara-san."

Izaya smirked. "Is there something you need, Heiwajima-kun?"

The two locked eyes for a moment, Izaya's expression smug and Kasuka's deadpan. There seemed to be a mutual agreement for the two because the younger just gave a small nod and gestured to his plate. "Please tell the chef that the risotto was good."

"Of course."

As Izaya walked away, hips swinging as his high heels click-clacked across the floor, he couldn't help but think about how mature Kasuka was. Certainly moreso than his brother. Not to mention rational and knowledgeable. Certainly no dolt like his protozoa brother.


	8. Chapter 7

__**A/N: Double post! Yay! Anyway, see you guys next Monday for another chapter. As always, read and let me know what you think. **

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><p><em>Masaomi bolted up in his bed in a cold sweat, shivering as his covers pooled around his bare torso. It took him a moment for his heart to stop pounding out of his chest. His dream had been weird… It had started out with Saki and him curled up together somewhere. Wherever it was, it had been bright, warm, and sunny. Then she had slowly morphed into Mikado and nuzzled up against him before he slowly stood up and looked down at Masaomi. "I don't want to see you in Ikebukuro ever again. Stay out of Ikebukuro's business." And then he turned and walked away.<em>

_Slumping back against his pillows, Masaomi sighed and mopped his brow. What a mess. To think, he had really loved Saki enough that he would do anything for the girl. But maybe he hadn't really loved her at all because he was regretting ever meeting her. Especially since he lost his best friend over her. Best friend and crush. Maybe it was Mikado he really loved. God… He was so stupid for giving him up for Saki._

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><p>March 26th<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm so sorry about this," Mikado muttered as they entered his small, one-room apartment. Mina had insisted on coming over to see where he lived and he was horribly embarrassed about it. After all, it wasn't the nicest place in the world. He just had a futon and a pillow to sit on at the low desk that held his computer. "It's not much but—"<p>

"It's perfect!" Mina assured cheerfully as she went over to the futon and plopped down on it. "I don't care where you live, Mikado-kun." She must have been telling the truth, because she looked very comfortable in the small space available. Comfortable enough that she wasn't quite sitting right again, and when Mikado sat down he politely pushed one of her knees over so it met with the other. She blinked, but then caught on with a small laugh and adjusted herself, leaning on her boyfriend's shoulder.

After nearly three weeks knowing each other, the two weren't as awkward anymore, but the situation was new enough that they still carefully thought out each of their movements. Still, Mina seemed far more comfortable than Mikado did with little displays of affection, which was why it took a moment for the awkward boy to put his arm around Mina's shoulders and get relaxed himself.

There was a small moment of silence, both of them not sure what to say but not bothered by the lack of words. As usual in that situation, it was Mina that broke it. "So Mikado-kun, have you ever fallen in love before?" she asked carefully. For once she sounded serious instead of her usual, hyperactive self. "I've heard you mention Kida-kun a couple times, and a few people around town have told me you both were close. He must have been important to you, right?"

Mikado blinked and glanced down at the girl, but she was facing straight ahead, and from his angle he couldn't catch a glimpse of her bronze eyes. Did he really talk about Masaomi that much? "Love?" he repeated, his tone thoughtful. "I'm not sure, honestly. Masaomi-kun was very important to me. We grew up together and even when he moved away, we still stayed in touch. When I moved here it was like nothing had changed between us. But a lot has happened since then." Mikado sighed softly. "Masaomi-kun was into a lot of gang activities around town, so when he left I was sort of happy. It meant he wouldn't be in danger anymore. He came back not too long ago but I told him to leave. Maybe I was too harsh."

"No," Mina answered after a small hesitation to think about it. "No, I really don't think you were. You just really cared about him and wanted him to be safe." Another small pause. For some reason, it almost sounded like Mina was upset about something. "Would you say you loved Kida-kun?" Jealousy, maybe? But Mina wasn't the jealous type.

This time it was Mikado who took a moment to answer. When he did it was very quiet. "I think I could have easily." he admitted. "If Masaomi-kun ever asked me out on a date or said he had feelings for me, I don't think I would have rejected him. I would have at least given it a try." The tense moment was shattered as Mikado laughed lightly. "But Masaomi-kun wasn't like that. He was only interested in woman, even if they had no interest in him. And I'm sure he's found himself someone to love just like I have." He leaned over and kissed Mina's soft hair, which smelled of tropical shampoo.

Mina didn't seem to react to the kiss for a moment and Mikado became worried. He was about to ask if something was bothering her when she raised her head and suddenly kissed him. It wasn't a light kiss either, as she wrapped her arms around Mikado's neck and crushed her lips to his. Mikado was caught off guard, but he didn't push her away. Instead his arms snaked around her waist and he kissed back, their lips moving with and against each other.

It was much different from the small goodbye kisses they shared before, and for once Mikado came out of his shell a bit more as he deepened the kiss, pressing a hand against the small of Mina's back to push her body against his, his other hand tangling gently in her hair. It was a few moments before they both pulled back, breathing a bit harder than normal.

Chocolate eyes, slightly surprised by her own actions, met with blue ones and they both blushed. Mina glanced away, embarrassment written on every line of her body. But Mikado gently put a finger under her chin and raised her face back up so he could kiss her lightly on the lips again. "Mina-chan, I may have loved Masaomi-kun before but I'm falling in love with you now," he said with a gentle smile, hoping it would make the girl feel better.

Mina didn't smile but she nodded and said, "I'm falling in love with you too, Mikado-kun." But she sounded like she was about to cry.

* * *

><p>[<em>I'm freaking out here. Seriously. I have no idea what I thought I was doing. I think I've made the biggest mistake of my life and it's all because I'm an idiot! This is bigger than leaving with Saki. Okay, you all can agree I'm stupid and I never think, but I can't believe I never thought about THIS! I'm the worst person ever.<em>

_To start out explaining WHY I'm such a horrible person, let me tell you how my day went. I went to Mikado's house to start out. Not exactly the biggest or nicest place, but I've been there before so I'm used to it. Mikado seemed a bit embarrassed, but you just gotta know how to deal with the kid. Assure him everything's fine and then prove that you're comfortable wherever. Easy enough._

_My first mistake came when I brought up myself. Casually, of course. I just wanted to know what he really felt about me. It's taken me awhile to realize it, but I've always been in love with the guy. I just wanted to know how to he felt about me. When he started saying that he would have dated me if I had asked, I felt horrible. Then I felt like a complete douche when he said how I was always hitting on girls and didn't play that way. _

_Do I really act like such a womanizer?_

_Let's recap. So far I found out that I missed out on dating someone I love. Great. Perfect. Wonderful._

_Then I did something even worse. I kissed him. Not just one of those stupid pecks we've been giving each other after dates. Nope, I went all out with that one. Not my first kiss but definitely my best. Probably Mikado's first. Maybe. Afterward he basically told me he loved me. _

_No. Not me._

_That's when I realized the bigger picture. Mikado doesn't love ME, he loves MINA. Mina doesn't exist. God, Mikado's going to hate me when he finds out and it's not like I can keep this a secret forever. He's going to find out eventually. Relationships always progress and when he wants to get in my skirt, I'm screwed. Sure, Mikado's cute and innocent, but there comes a time when all boys need to become men. What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

_But you know what, I think I'm going to play this out for as long as possible just to keep Mikado happy. I don't want to ruin the kid's dreams or take away someone he loves. I'll be Mina as long as he thinks I'm Mina and he wants me to be Mina._]

* * *

><p>Izaya grimaced as a twig poked him sharply in the arm. He shuffled a bit on the tree branch he was on, trying to keep his balance while his binoculars were pressed against his face so he could see inside Mikado's small place through the widow. Pity he didn't get sound, because Masaomi looked like he wanted to cry. Now why was that? Frowning, Izaya decided he would just have to keep a good ear out from now on to see if anyone mentioned it. Damn windows that blocked out sound. Why couldn't those kids just scream what they were saying?<p> 


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: It's midnight, meaning it's officially Monday where I am. So I'll upload another chapter and update stuff that needs to be updated since I can't sleep. And here we go! A turning point for almost everyone.**

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><p><em>The test run… It was going to be the most embarrassing part of the whole process but the most important. Masaomi was in his dress, padded bra, heels, and makeup and he was going to walk around Kyoto to see if people recognized him. If people he had known less than a year could easily spot him out, then Masaomi knew Mikado would point him out in an instant. So this part was very important.<em>

_Feeling his stomach flutter nervously, Masaomi wobbled down the street in his heels. He got stares and at first that made him nervous until he realized the stares were all from guys. And they were directed at his chest and legs. He couldn't decide if it was flattering or disturbing, but it made him stand taller and walk with more confidence. No one called him out and only one person spoke to him. It was a man asking him if he wanted to eat lunch. _

"_Oh yeah~ I'm hot."_

* * *

><p>March 29th<p>

* * *

><p>At twelve o' one Mikado knocked lightly on a freshly painted, white door with 609 written in elegant black letters on it. He was a minute late and that bothered him a bit since he was always concerned with being on time. But Mina seemed to be running later than everyone else, so he doubted it mattered. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a flustered voice from behind the door calling out, "I-It's open! I'll be out in one minute!" Chuckling softly to himself, Mikado opened the door.<p>

Though they had been dating for a while, this was his first time in Mina's house and as he closed the door behind him he glanced around to check the place out. While it certainly wasn't a penthouse, the girl had it nice for herself. Unlike Mikado's tiny apartment, hers had separate rooms though it was still small. And surprisingly neat, not many belongings in it to clutter up the space.

"Take your time," he called back as he heard a faucet turn on from the bathroom. Fine with waiting, he took a seat on a slightly worn couch, sitting on the very edge as one does when they're in someone else's house for the first time.

So what had he found out? She's neat and must have parents that don't mind paying for housing. Or so he assumed. He glanced around, wanting to find out more about his girlfriend. Maybe pictures or something? But strangely there were none. Didn't girls have an obsession with taking pictures of themselves? It's not like Mina was camera shy or anything. So Mikado got up, taking the effort to be as quiet as possible—not because he was doing anything sneaky but just because he felt uncomfortable being loud in an unknown place—and looked around for some sort of family photo or snapshot. The fact that there were none worried him slightly.

That's when he spotted Mina's phone on the kitchen counter.

Mikado wasn't the type to go through another's belonging without permission, but it was okay to check the background on the screen, right? Maybe she had a picture of herself. Simply out of curiosity he walked over and slid the screen up only to blink in puzzlement when he saw the picture. Then he squinted at it almost as if making sure it was real.

Why would Mina have a picture of him and Masaomi for her background?

Sure enough, the background was a picture Masaomi had taken awhile ago of them both before he left. Mikado, looking slightly embarrassed and a bit younger, was being attacked by a very cheerful Masaomi as the boy slung an arm around his friend's shoulder and shot the picture. Frowning and still not making the connection he carefully set the phone back down and took a quick glance towards the bathroom to make sure Mina was still getting ready.

Unfortunately for him, Mina hadn't closed the bathroom door all the way and through the small crack he could see a portion of the mirror reflecting back something that blew the poor boy's mind. Mina was in nothing but a pair of yellow panties and Mikado was almost certain panties didn't bulge like that when on an actual woman. That, and without her bra on Mina had a flatter chest than Mikado had thought.

It took Mikado a moment to tear his eyes away before he was flooded by pure panic. Mina wasn't Mina. She was Masaomi. _He_ was Masaomi. _**It**_ was Masaomi! The girl he had been in a relationship with, admitted he loved, and even kissed wasn't even a girl!

That hadn't even fully sunk into his head before a voice behind him made him jump and whirl to face Mina. Mina was fully dressed and looking just like before though slightly worried. Mikado realized he was probably staring at her in horror and blushing with how heated his face felt. "U-Um, wh-what?" he stammered out, clearing his expression quickly.

Mina tilted her head and frowned lightly. "I said I'm ready. Sorry for making you wait. Mikado-kun, are you feeling okay? You look like you're sick." She came forward with her hand outstretched, as if to check his fever but Mikado quickly ducked under her arm towards the door with a strained attempt at a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. You're right, I'm just not feeling well right now and if I'm sick I don't want you to catch it. Can we reschedule our date?" He tried to speak naturally but it came out slightly rushed and flustered.

Thankfully the girl didn't seem to notice or if she did she passed it off as him being sick. "That's fine. Just call me later so I know you're not dying, okay?" She put on a stern pose and shook her finger at him in a motherly, dramatic way. "Don't make me come over to your house and nurse you back to health or you're going to owe me big time."

"Al-Alright, I won't." Now that he was paying attention, her behavior was so much like Masaomi's he wondered how he never saw it before. Bidding her goodbye he left he apartment and headed home, attempting to keep all of his thoughts off of what he discovered by trying to remember all the numbers in pi while he twirled his ring on his finger nervously. The ring Mina had given him. Or… Masaomi? No, no! He wasn't allowed to think of that until he got home.

And think he did. As soon as he walked through the door and took off his shoes his mind began to whirl. In every memory he had of Mina, he replaced it with Masaomi. Things certainly made a lot more sense but it didn't stop Mikado from realizing that the girl he had loved was really his best friend lying to him. It was a big mental blow, made almost physical as the thought dropped the boy to his knees. They had kissed. They had talked. Was that why Mina brought up Masaomi? Er… Herself? Himself? Itself!

Then another thought hit him. "Does this mean I'm gay?" He was, after all, in love with a girl who was really a guy. That just brought up more questions. How did he feel about Masaomi? Mina? Who did he like better? Mikado certainly had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

><p><em>[You know, for someone in my position I'm a pretty careless person, aren't I? Mikado and I had a date set up for this afternoon and forgot to set my alarm! I slept in and then had to rush to get ready. Worse than that, I think Mikado's sick. He looked fevered and sort of pale so I didn't push the date on him. Now I'm alone at home with nothing to do. Totally sucks. I'm tempted to go over there and check on him, maybe bring him some soup but I really don't want to catch whatever he has. If he doesn't call me later I'll head over there. Poor guy. I hope he gets better soon.<em>

_But anyway, an update on my feelings._

_I've realized something in the short time I've been a woman. They go through a lot to get pretty for a date. You have to have the right dress and your makeup has to be perfect or you just look funny. Not to mention those damn bras. Okay, woman must be rocket scientists because how the hell do you put those things on when the clip is in the back? And then taking them off. Dear lord it's almost not even worth it. No wonder ladies burned these during the Women's Rights Movement in America._

_Besides that, though, I'm sure you all can tell I haven't given up my lying ways. Despite my guilt I have no intention of telling Mikado who I really am. I'll let him figure it out on his own or I'll tell him when I need to. Besides, this is making him happy, right? I don't want to ruin that too soon. _

_Or so I'm telling myself, anyway.]_

* * *

><p>Izaya was seriously starting to hate Mikado's house. Mikado and Masaomi's both. First he had to tail the boy over to "Mina's" place only to stand outside looking like a dumbass while he waited for some sign of something. He expected them both to come out eventually for a date but that wasn't the case. Mikado, strangely enough, came out by himself.<p>

And boy did he look like an emotion wreck.

The information broker smirked slightly to himself as he started after the boy again. So he had finally figured it out? The question is, did he put two and two together or did Masaomi tell him? Despite how difficult it was to keep an eye on the two every day, the story was certainly worth his time.

Playing the stalker, he followed Mikado back to his apartment and taking care not to poke himself with anymore twigs, he resumed his position in the near the window. Unfortunately for him, Mikado had the shades drawn so he couldn't see anything. Pouting sullenly, Izaya sat there in hopes that Mikado would allow him a little peek.

Stupid of him of course, because he wasn't the only one milling about Mikado's apartment.

The tree shook violently, almost sending Izaya off his branch. Yelping, he grabbed the trunk and clung to it, glancing down to see a blonde shaking the trunk. "Shizu-chan…" He didn't look too happy either, that violent, rageful grin plastered on his face.

"I~za~ya~ What the hell do you think you're doing?" Shizuo roared, gripping the trunk and shaking harder as Izaya desperately tried to cling for life. "Spying on kids now? That's low, even for you, fucking flea. Get down here before I go up there and kick your ass. So help me, I'm going to beat your fucking face in!"

Usually, when playing cat and dog, the cat would be safe by climbing a tree. Though in that example dogs can't literally rip the tree from the ground and throw it. If the choice was between climbing down and starting a fight on foot or getting slung across Ikebukuro in a tree, Izaya would gladly climb down. He wasn't stupid, however. As he jumped he made sure his flick blade was out of his pocket and in his hand. He hit the ground, rolled, and ran as soon as his feet were on solid ground.

Shizuo didn't like being outsmarted and with a roar he dropped the tree and tore off after his enemy.


	10. Chapter 9

_Kida Masaomi had only been kissed once in his life. And that was by Saki. Honestly, he was never that popular with ladies, and it was on purpose. He always went for girls that were either obviously disinterested or were way out of his league. That was for two reasons. One: the last girl he had been with ended up in the hospital for a very long time. Two: He didn't want to be in a relationship with anyone. Even Saki. But that flew out the window when he gave up the Yellow Scarves and ran away with her. They acted like stupid, love-struck teenagers as they laughed and fooled around. _

_And then one night, out of the blue, she kissed him and admitted she loved him. Dammit, too, because Masaomi fell right for it._

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><p>March 31st<p>

* * *

><p>Mikado had figured out several things fairly quickly. First, he wasn't mad at Masaomi for lying to him and pretending to be a girl. It was obvious he had done so with the purest intentions and though it was a huge hit, Mikado really wasn't upset. Second, finding out that Masaomi was Mina actually made quite a bit of sense. How they clicked when they first met, how close they had gotten so quickly, and how Mikado started feeling like he had his best friend back. There were a couple things he was unable to decide. Was he going to tell Masaomi that he knew? And of course, just how did he feeling about his friend? He knew his feelings towards Mina but what about Masaomi?<p>

But he had a plan that would allow him to find out.

This time when heading to Mina's apartment, he was late on purpose to make sure she was a hundred percent decent when he walked through the door. Just as expected, Mina was wearing a slightly sheepish smile when she answered the door.

"Good thing you're late, Mikado-kun. Are you feeling any better? You had me worried sick when you didn't call after you got home!" She stepped aside to allow Mikado in before heading to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine Mina-chan," he assured with a smile. "Actually, I was just hoping we could hang out today." He sat down on the couch, relaxing into it this time instead of sitting on the edge.

Mina gave him a look that made Mikado feel like blushing, and he was sure that he did. It was a look that Masaomi gave him quite often, now that he thought about it. "That's fine." She grabbed a bottle of water for herself and joined him on the couch, snuggling against his side with a content smile. "I'm perfectly happy like this, Mikado-kun. After all, you're so warm and comfortable~" She giggled and Mikado couldn't help but laugh as well, wrapping an arm around her.

"I'm glad you're comfortable, Mina-chan." But that wasn't the reason he was there. He had wanted to test something out now that he knew just who this was. So he took his arm from around Mina's shoulder and used it to tilt her head up so he could kiss her. Now that things were clear in his head from his thinking that passed couple of days, he could do this properly and sort out his true feelings.

The kiss started out very light and Mina smiled into it, closing her eyes and kissing him back as she draped her arms around his neck. But Mikado quickly turned the kiss into something a little more heated, like it had been back at his place the last time. He pressed his lips harder against hers, deepening the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She didn't fight and when his tongue probed at her lips they parted willingly with a small, far too feminine gasp. Mikado almost felt like chuckling, but he really wanted to push his limits with this and was finding the kiss, despite it being with Masaomi, quite enjoyable.

For a moment their tongues tangled and Mina gave a soft moan against his mouth before they parted for a quick, panting breath. And then they were kissing again, going right back to where they left off as Mikado explored her mouth. Then he started moving his hands. One snaked down to the edge of her dress, lightly playing with the hem while the other moved up, rubbing her sides gently. She didn't seem to mind and even managed to tangle her fingers in his hair, lightly tugging.

That one kiss turned into quite a few and lasted for quite a while as they made out on Mina's couch. Mikado really did test his limits. He kept the passionate kissing going until his hand rested on Mina's side, level with her bra while his other hand and slipped up her dress. He only stopped and pulled back when his fingers brushed again the lace of Mina's panties. Despite him wanting to test limits, he had some of his own. So he slowed down the kiss and broke it, panting for breath and staring at Mina's flushed face as she tried to calm her breathing as well.

He smiled, reaching his hand up to touch her cheek. "You're so cute, Mina-chan," he said, though in his mind he replaced Mina with Masaomi. They were quickly becoming one in the same.

The girl blushed, not even realizing how touchy he had been. "S-So are you, Mikado-kun… Erm…" Looking flustered, she stood. "I have to go to the bathroom. I'll b-be right back." She turned and quickly hurried off as Mikado relaxed back into the couch. Things were all sorted out in his head. He was in love with his old friend, Kida Masaomi.

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><p><em>[Mikado seriously needs to stop doing things like that. What happened to the sweet innocent boy I left? He's gone! Gone, I say! The Mikado I used to know would be far too nervous to ever kiss someone like that.<em>

_God that was a good kiss…_

_That's not the point! Ugh, things are starting to get confused in my head. I'm torn between telling him the truth and just letting it be. As much as I hate lying to him, being around him as Mina makes me happier. Far happier than anything else, even if I do have to pretend to be a girl. If he finds out it's me he'll hate me. _

_Man that kiss was good._

_I'll admit, that got me far more excited than it should have. I had to run off to the bathroom to calm myself down before going back out there with Mikado. The last thing I needed is him asking why my dress was tinted. _

_Did that actually happen? Holy hell I'm in way over my head. This reminds me of when I started the Yellow Scarves. I never thought either would go so far.]_

* * *

><p>"So you're saying the chick in yellow is actually Kida Masaomi?" There was an obvious note of skepticism in Shziuo's tone, but at least he had stopped fuming, cursing, and ripping out road signs.<p>

The two were quite the sight to see and some even dared to stop and watch them for a second. Izaya was collapsed on a bus bench, battered, bruised, and probably in quite a bit of pain as he warily watched Shizuo. The blonde was cut up and bleeding from several places and holding a mangled yield sign while smoking a cigarette. All of this was just a continuation of their previous fight, started again when Shizuo found the man outside "Mina's" apartment.

"You're incredibly slow, Shizu-chan. That's what I've been trying to tell you the whole—Ow!" Izaya glared as the dented front of the sign hit him over the head. Not as hard as it could have been, but hard enough to make his ears ring as he rubbed at the place. "Was that called for, you brute? I'm just trying to explain what's going on."

"You called me slow. Don't do it again, louse."

For once the two were actually being tame towards each other, if one could call it that. At least the only things being thrown around were glares.

Shizuo puffed on his cigarette, ignoring Izaya for a moment as he exhaled smoke. "So you've been hanging around here trying to do what?" he finally asked, eyes darting to the man on the bench from behind his shades. "Are you going to break them up? Tattle on the crossdressing kid? Just what is your part in all this, flea?"

"I'm intrigued," the information broker admitted with a smirk and a shrug. "I've known Masaomi-kun for some time and I want to know just what would possess him to do such a thing. He's always been a bit on the odd side, but I never thought he would go that far."

The cigarette was pulled from between Shizuo's lips and then flicked off to the side as he turned and aimed his sign towards Izaya. "I don't believe you."

"Tch." The smirk was gone and the glare was back on. "I'm an information broker for a reason, you dunce. I like gossip and good stories. In case you haven't noticed, this is a good story."

"Not about that!" Shizuo snapped. "I don't believe that's a boy! You're the only male with curves like that in Tokyo! Meaning you're lying about that being a girl meaning you're up to something tricky and there's no way in hell I'm letting you fuck around in Ikebukuro and cause trouble, you damned louse!"

Though the whole statement of Shizuo was rather confusing and illogical, Izaya picked up the just of it and smirked. "Then I'll prove it to you, Shizu-chan. You can come with me while I spy on them, that way you can keep me in line and make sure I don't do anything outside my bounds. Agreed?"

Shizuo's scowl didn't fad but he did lower his sign before giving a reluctant nod.


	11. Chapter 10

_Masaomi let off a small sigh as he walked through the park in Kyoto, watching the green leaves sway on the trees. He missed Ikebukuro… Sure, it was warm here and the weather was nice, but this was around the time cherry blossoms would be blooming there. The pink leaves always looked so beautiful flying in the wind through the city streets. He remembered telling Mikado about it before the boy moved down, and how excited the other had seemed. _

"_I can't wait to see it! I bet it's just as beautiful as you described it, Masaomi-kun! How about we watch them together?" _

_But it was a little late for that now. They had never gotten the chance. Masaomi would have given anything to go back in time and at least spend one blooming season with Mikado so they had the chance to sit there together. He smiled sadly while he walked, his head now downcast as he imagined what it would be like._

* * *

><p>April 3rd<p>

* * *

><p>Mikado, as usual, was the first to show up at the park for their date. He didn't mind, though, as he found a large tree to sit under, placing their bento boxes on his lap. Ikebukuro really was beautiful this time of year… The pink, blossoming flowers seemed to fly everywhere as soon as the gentlest breeze blew. They twirled and danced through the streets cheerfully, reminding everyone that it was that time of year. Time to make picnics and take your loved ones to see the blooming sakura trees. Mikado hadn't ignored the call. As soon as he saw the first cherry blossom fly past him, he called up Mina to set up a date at the park. She agreed right away.<p>

"Mikado-kun!"

The boy turned to see Mina running up. For once she wasn't in a dress or a skirt, but instead she wore daisy-duke shorts and a yellow tank top with her usual yellow wedges. Surprisingly, she seemed fairly steady on them while running. Mikado couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh as Mina got there and collapsed on the grass, panting. "S-Sorry I'm late!"

"That's okay," he assured, waving it off as he handed her the bento. "I made us lunch. I hope you like it."

She smiled but it faded somewhat as Mikado reached over and pushed her knee against the other one to close her legs. Usually she complied with him but this time her eyes narrowed. "No," she said, putting her legs the way they were before. "I'm wearing _pants_ today. I can sit however I want." Looking down she quickly corrected herself. "I'm wearing _shorts_ today but they're close enough to pants."

Laughing, Mikado raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, Mina-chan. You can sit however you want."

Satisfied by the answer, Mina opened her bento box to reveal fresh sushi rolls and white rice that looked like it had been homemade with love. She practically drooled as she broke her chopsticks out and started eating. Now that Mikado was really noticing it, she even ate like Masaomi and for a minute he couldn't help but stare at her before saying, "I'm glad you seem to like it." He also noticed that by this point, she had shifted until her knees were touching again, despite the fuss she had made before about wearing shorts.

She smiled and looked over at him before shifted and snuggling against his side, slinging and arm around his neck. "Of course! You're not a bad cook so why wouldn't I?"

The bento was eaten quickly and the rest of the time was spent with the two side-by-side, leaning against the wide trunk of a sakura tree while they watched the blossoms in the wind. They didn't talk much, either. Nothing really needed to be said as Mina tucked herself against Mikado's side while the boy's fingers played through her hair. It was just a tender, touching moment for the two and Mikado couldn't help but be thankful that he got to spend it with his best friend. Thinking on it, he would have rather sit and watch the blossoms with Masaomi than with some girl he had hardly knew. Even if he was in shorts and a padded bra, Masaomi would always be Masaomi and Mikado would always love him.

* * *

><p><em>[I don't think anyone will ever know how happy I was with Mikado. Dude, I'm starting to actually feel like some love-struck teenage girl. I got to watch the cherry blossoms with him and eat a bento he made. It was the most peaceful and enjoyable thing I've ever done. I didn't have to worry about gang wars or Izaya popping up and ruining my life. It was just Mikado and I. Me and Mikado.<em>

_Oh, and another plus. I wasn't wearing a dress or skirt! I was actually in shorts for once, so I didn't have to worry about flashing anyone!_

_But it was still uncomfortable to sit with my legs open so I didn't. That was a pain, but whatever. I had fun either way and I'm sure Mikado did to. I've decided to let him have as much fun as possible before I spill the truth. I'll tell him who I am eventually but until then I'm going to make sure he has a great time.]_

* * *

><p>Sitting a little ways off behind a tree were the two stalkers, out stalking kids for the afternoon. For Izaya it was only to be expected but Shizuo was a new addition to the stalker club. Unfortunately for Izaya, the brute stood out like a sore thumb but neither Masaomi nor Mikado seemed to notice them. "See Shizu-chan? What did I tell you?"<p>

There was silence for a second before Shizuo answered. "That looks like a girl to me."

"Are you blind? That's Kida Masaomi clear as day."

The blonde turned to give Izaya a deadly glare. "If you insult me one more time I'm going to rip this tree out of the ground and kill you with it, do we have an understanding?" Izaya rolled his eyes, not thinking his statement had been all too insulting but knowing it was useless to argue with the irrational man. So he just nodded. "Anyway, why would someone dress up as a girl?"

Leaning back against the tree, Izaya let out a sigh and resisted the urge to call Shizuo stupid again. "I guess you don't know the full story like I do. Ryuugamine-kun over there is Masaomi-kun's best friend. Has been for a very long time. But due to all the gang fighting and Masaomi-kun running off to be with someone else, Mikado-kun grew distant with him. If I've heard correctly, he told Masaomi-kun to leave and never come back. After being friends for such a long time, I'm sure it must have been a hard blow."

He snickered, taking enjoyment in that fact before Shziuo's glare silenced him.

"Don't make fun of someone's friendship!" the man snapped. "It's great that they're close and the fact that _your_ stupid stunts broke that apart is horrible. You're lucky I don't feel like killing you right now, flea."

Huffing, Shizuo turned away to watch the couple with his arms crossed over his chest before his anger slowly faded. One could almost see it happening as his shoulder's relaxed and his expression faded.

"Must be nice to have friends…" he finally muttered.

Izaya didn't answer. His own contemptuous thoughts had settled as well and he stared off in front of him, watching the pink blossoms fly by. It was actually his first time sitting in the park watching them. Pity it had to be with a monster.


	12. Chapter 11

_Masaomi was sick of practicing his looks and his walk as a female. It was Saturday and he was going to be a man today! Or so he thought… He ended up taking five steps from his apartment until he heard a small, "Mew!" from one of the alleys he passed. It sounded so pitiful he just had to stop and glance at the little kitten pawing at a trash bag. Smiling a bit, he walked over close enough that the kitten perked up its ears and stared at him. _

"_Here kitty, kitty…" he mumbled, bending down and reaching a hand out. _

_The kitten stared for a minute before starting forward cautiously to sniff at his hand. Masaomi, not wanting to scare the little thing, reached up slowly to pet it. He never reached the soft black fur, however. Pain stabbed through his hand as the cat bit him and ran deeper into the alley. The rest of the day, Masaomi had bad luck with animals. While he was eating lunch, a bird even swooped down to steal some of it. He made a mental note to never pet stray cats again._

* * *

><p>April 8th<p>

* * *

><p>"Heh… I'm not so sure about this, Mikado-kun…"<p>

"Trust me! You'll have fun!" Mikado assured as they walked down the street towards their next date. The petting zoo. Who wouldn't have fun at a petting zoo? Besides, the boy knew Masaomi had a weakness for cute animals. The two looked very homey as they walked side by side, Mina tucked against Mikado's side while the boy had his arm around her waist.

She sighed softly, giving in. "Okay, okay…" Then she grinned. "But you'll owe me, Mikado-kun! Afterward you have to get me ice cream. I'll be mad at you if you forget."

The line at the ticket booth was small since the grand opening for the new petting zoo had been a week ago. It probably wouldn't last long anyway, since only little children begged their mothers to go. Most teenagers had no interest in petting goats and llamas unless they were bored and wanted a nice little place to go for a date. Tickets were paid for and the two entered the main yard with said goats and llamas. Chickens darted between legs and there was even a pony clomping around.

Laughing kids danced through animals and parents, patting goats and shyly petting at chickens pecking the ground. Smiling, Mikado grabbed Mina's hand and started off, easily winding through the throngs of people. "The goats are over this way. C'mon!"

Mina forced a slightly nervous smile and followed after him, watching as Mikado leaned down to reach through a roughly cut, wooden fence to stroke a baying goat's nose. "Heh… They are kinda cute, aren't they?" Careful not to flash anyone, she knelt down at did the same. Maybe wearing a dress to the petty zoo wasn't the best idea, but she didn't have much experience with picking outfits to the occasion.

Distracted, she never noticed the second goat that came up and started snacking on the end of her dress until there was already a long rip down the side. "Ack…! M-Mikado-kun, get it off!" She jumped up, trying to push the animal off but it hung on with a vengeance, still eating the fabric. Mikado glanced up and for a moment he could do nothing but snicker. Then he noticed the edge of some frilly, yellow underwear and he was quick to blush and get up to help. They managed to push the thing off, and the goat let out a dejected, "Bah…" before trotting off.

Mina looked down to survey the damage to her outfit and groaned when it was clear it would never be salvaged. The rip reached her hips and she tried to desperately hold the two pieces together while turning a panicked shade of red.

"Don't worry Mina-chan." Mikado gave her kind smile and took off his coat, easily wrapping it around her waist and tying it to cover the slit. "See? All better." The girl gave him a relieved smile, but she still looked extremely awkward standing there, not daring to go any closer to the goat pin again. Laughing softly in an almost comforting way, Mikado wrapped an arm around her waist and started leading her to the exit. "Here, we'll get you home so you can change."

Smiling, the boy looked like he was finding this far too amusing for his own good, and Mina felt the need to say something about that, but she just sighed and relaxed into his arms. Much of their walk was done in a comfortably silence until Mikado suddenly turned and pulled his girlfriend towards an ice cream stand, remembering what was said before they even reached the petting zoo.

Instead of going straight home the two ended up sitting in a metal chair under a bright, colorful umbrella while eating ice cream. "So how did you know butterscotch was my favorite?" Mina asked, licking at hers.

Mikado gave her a small smile a shrugged. "You just seemed like a butterscotch person," he said simply, seeming very plain next to her with his vanilla cone. "I'm sorry about the petting zoo, though." He had to cover his mouth to stifle a small but kind laugh. "I never expected that you would catch the attention of a curious goat. Is your dress fixable?"

Mina sighed and tapped her head with her finger tips, something which Masaomi did all the time. "No, probably not. But that's alright! I have plenty of others, so it's no big deal. At least he didn't go after the shoes. These are the only pair that I actually like." For some reason Mikado found this humorous and he had to hide another laugh.

Conversation lapsed into the regular topic of school before a light silence that neither minded while they finished off their ice cream. It seemed Mikado had something on his mind that was bothering him as he stood and deposited his napkin in the trashcan before they started walking again. Mina kept glancing over at him but didn't pressure him until Mikado looked back her and blushed lightly.

"E-Erm… M-Mina-chan, I don't mean to be prying but… Um…" He scratched his chin awkwardly. "Are you…? I mean, have you ever…?" He sighed, as if giving up trying to phrase things right. He looked off to the side, even his ears turning red. "A-Are you a virgin?" He quickly looked back over at Mina, half panicked. "N-Not that I would think differently of you or anything! I'm just curious, I swear!"

Mina looked torn between sadness and humor. "Relax, Mikado-kun. I'm not offended," she assured. "No, I've never had sex before." The sadness was quickly covered up as she laughed, waving the matter off. "I've kissed someone besides you, but that's it. I had someone that I really cared about before, but I ended up screwing it up. And then I found someone that I clung too because I thought they would be my only chance with someone, but they were just using me."

"A-Ah…" Mikado glanced down at his shoes before looking back up to meet Mina's chocolate eyes. "Well, you won't have to worry about that, Mina-chan." The arm that had been resting around her waist tightened ever so slightly, making the girl smile.

But it faulted a bit and she bit her bottom lip. "What about you, Mikado-kun? I know you're a very respectful boy but I heard rumors around school about you and Anri-chan dating a while back. How far did that go?"

Mikado, again, looked embarrassed. "We… Tried," he admitted with an embarrassed chortle. "We were very awkward while dating and even more when kissing. As soon as she took off her shirt I had to back out. It's why we're not as close as we used to be, but we're still friends."

Mina nodded and seemed to relax a bit. The rest of the walk to her house as done with their usual joking and laughing.

* * *

><p><em>[I love animals. I really do. They're cute and cuddly and you can't hate them. I would have had no problem going to a petting zoo and playing with all the farm animals but there's just one big problem. Cute fluffy things like that don't like me. Needless to say I need to go out and buy another dress because a goat ate mine.<em>

_It's strange how normal that sounds now. The dress buying, not the goat._

_Mikado was a gentleman, though. He gave me his jacket to save my modesty._

_But that wasn't the worst part of the day. Mikado, the little curious one he is, asked about my purity. I'm thanking whatever god there is that I wasn't stupid enough to go that far with Saki. But since we were on that subject I had to ask about Anri._

_Before I left they had been something of a couple. I wasn't quite sure what happened to them. They didn't even seem that close anymore. I mean, I wouldn't have been upset if he had hooked up with her or anything! I mean, she's hot. It would have hurt, though. _

_He didn't do anything with her, thankfully. That made me more relieved than I thought possible.]_

* * *

><p>Shizuo stood out in the middle of the petting zoo… It was embarrassing, really, to be the best informant in Tokyo, blending in perfectly, only to be next to someone that stood out so badly. But Izaya didn't say a word about his cover being blown as he stood there, his back to the kids while he stroked the snout of a llama. Shizuo, on the other hand, stood there and openly stared.<p>

"Seriously… What the hell?" he murmured, watching. Then a hand came up to cover his mouth, watching as Masaomi jumped up, trying to push a goat off of him. The usually enraged man snorted with laughter before he gave up and turned around, doubling over as he choked on snickers and chuckles.

Izaya shook his head. Boy… This man would make a horrible information broker. But at the same time he couldn't help but chuckle as well, watching the scene in the reflection of his phone, which was clutched in the hand that wasn't touching the llama. "See, I told you. Spying can be fun sometimes. But you're very bad at it Shizu-chan." For once the man didn't retort with something sharp, he just glanced over his shoulder to watch the kids again. Izaya snickered. "Speaking of which, you know we haven't fought in almost a week. This must be a record for us."

He never saw the blow coming until he felt Shizuo's hand connect with the side of his head rather painfully. "Ow!" The informant turned and glared at the man. "What was that for, Shizu-chan?"

"We fought," Shizuo said simply with a shrug. "But I'll admit, this is more entertaining than I thought it would be, louse. Just don't get too used to me joining you. This is a onetime thing." He rolled his eyes, noticing the kids were leaving. He started walked towards the exit. "Now get away from there. Llamas don't like fleas."

Izaya rolled his eyes, giving the animal one more pat. "Please… Like I would get attacked by a llama…" Like Shizuo's fist, the man never saw the glob of spit until it was dripping down the side of his face and the llama was trotting away.


	13. Chapter 12

_Three days… It had only been three days and Masaomi was feeling more depressed than ever. He was truly alone now that he had left Mikado and Saki had left him. Wandering around the city, anyone looking at him could tell he was lost. Not because he didn't know where he was but because he didn't know where he was going. _

_Eh… It was getting dark. Time to head back to his apartment. Glancing up for the first time all day, he looked around to get his bearings. He had gotten pretty familiar with Kyoto. He wasn't too far from his apartment actually. It just kinda sucked that he was standing outside the club Saki had wanted to go to with him before she left. Wincing lightly, he turned on his heel and started walking back to his place, head ducked and heart heavy while the pounding music melted and faded into the throbbing of his heart._

* * *

><p>April 12th<p>

* * *

><p>Maria Elena had just opened up in town, said to be one of the best dance clubs ever. Mikado wasn't one for dancing but it seemed like something Mina would do, so he was only too quick to suggest it for a date. Besides, It would give him a chance to hold his date close. Maybe there would be a sweet, slow song on to make the evening complete. Soon the two were dressed up, Mina in a yellow and black dress. It was pretty cute, with the yellow part slitting to show black underneath. Mikado himself just wore dark, faded jeans and a green, button up shirt.<p>

Neither knew what to expect when they walked into the place, whether it was more of a bar or an actual club, but they didn't expect what they got. It was a _rave_ if anything. While there were tables on the side with people sitting and chatting, the majority of the space was taken up by a light-up dance floor, techno music pounding through the place.

Well… Too late to turn back now.

"This is awesome!" Mina shouted, her eyes lighting up and reflecting the flashing lights. "I never thought you would be into this type of scene. C'mon, Mikado-kun! We'll start off with a drink and then we can dance!"

She took Mikado's hand and started pulling deeper into the club, towards the bar while the boy protested with, "M-Mina-chan, but we're too young—"

"Relax!" she cut in with a smile as she slid into a bar seat. "I didn't say anything about sake." She turned to smile at the bartender while Mikado took her hand, still looking a bit uncomfortable. "I'll take a Ramune and my boyfriend here would like a grape soda." The man nodded and went to get their drinks. "Ah, this is awesome!"

Mina seemed very excited about it and Mikado couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit excited as well. This wasn't a place he was used to, especially when he glanced over at the dance floor to see couples grinding up on each other. But he had the feeling that it wouldn't be so bad with Mina with him. After all, it was just like good times. Mina drawing him out of his shell and getting him to experience new things. He was such a chicken.

Drinks came and it seemed Mina couldn't gulp hers down quick enough and hardly waited for Mikado to finish his before she was dragging him to the dance floor again. Mikado had been through many things in his young life, but while he watched the bodies moving in sync on the dance floor, he couldn't help but feel nervous. Mina had no problem pushing through the crowd until they were almost in the middle of the writhing mass of people. Smiling, she pulled close to the boy and started moving to the beat of the song pounding around them. For a moment Mikado was frozen, not sure how he should act. But he figured it would be best to just let go and drop his sweet and innocent act.

He wrapped his arms around Mina and pulled her close, grinding against her to the music. Pretty soon the two were lost in the bass of the music, body pressed against each other as they moved, sometimes front to front, other times back to front. If anyone would have seen the two, they would have stared in amazement. Even Mikado, in the back of his mind, was surprised with his actions.

Hands, after awhile, starting wandering as they both closed their eyes and relaxed into the actions and commands of the songs, both forgetting who they were and what they were supposed to be doing. Mina's arms strayed from around Mikado's neck, running down his chest and down his body. Mikado's respectfully wandered her body and along soft curves to her hip, oblivious to everyone around them. As the night wore on, inhibitions dropped and hands soon started testing their limits. Mina's dropped down and Mikado soon felt a hand squeezing his butt. It wasn't altogether unpleasant and he found he actually enjoyed it, so he didn't say anything. Besides, his hand was slipping pretty far up the side of her thigh.

They then found themselves front to back, Mikado grinding his hips into Mina's backside as he felt her hands slid through his hair as she reached behind. It gave him a better opportunity to slide to the front of her thigh and continue his journey upward, fingers trailing along soft, sensitive skin. He felt her shiver in his arms as his fingers reached the edge of frilly panties, but this time he didn't pull back, far too lost in his movements and music to think much about his actions as he hooked a finger under and tugged softly.

Mina even seemed like she would let the motion go until she realized she had something to protect down there. Her hand found his and pushed it down as she turned back around to face him, smiling in a strained way. "Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom!" she said over the music, her blush showing even through the flashing lights on the dance floor. Mikado blushed as well, his innocent side coming back to him as he reflected back on what he had just done while watching Mina slip through the crowd to the girls' restroom. He started towards the bar, only pausing when he saw a bartender suit amongst the crowd, dancing up on another guy that he could have sworn was Izaya.

What the…?

But then they were lost in the crowd and he shook off the thought as he sat at the bar and ordered another grape soda.

It didn't take Mina too long to get back, and she had a sheepish smile on her face, hands clasped behind her back. "Eh… Mikado-kun, the girl's restroom was a little disgusting," she said, wrinkling her nose while rocking back and forth on her heels. "Besides, it's getting late. I had a lot of fun though. Will you walk me home?"

Of course the answer to that was a yes. The two ended up walking through Ikebukuro, admiring the stars while tucked up against each other like normal. Really, it had been a fun night for both of them.

* * *

><p><em>[I think I really need to say this again. Mikado isn't as innocent as I thought he was. I never thought I would see my innocent little friend at a rave, dancing up against someone without a care in the world. He got pretty frisky to be honest. I lost my head more than a few times and I didn't mind the touching. Even when he started getting a little too close to discovering the truth, I was all set to let him go for it.<em>

_But the thought of him hating me after that stopped me. _

_Thankfully I had to go to the bathroom so it made the perfect escape. _

_Let me tell you one thing: going into the girl's bathroom was awkward. Until then I had avoided public restrooms because I wasn't sure if I should go into the boys' or the girls'. But now I had no choice because I really had to pee and Mikado was watching. So I had to go into the girls. _

_Ladies, you all have it good. Your bathroom looks and smells much fresher than any boys' room you'll ever find. _

_There were girls in there doing their makeup, so I tried to look natural and ignore them. I was pretty much lost in there, to be honest. I felt like those girls out there were watching me, which was just freaky. And if they were watching me, I couldn't pee facing the toilet because they might suspect something but I didn't want to sit down. _

_I still had my manly pride._

_So I hiked up my dress and squatted over the toilet._

_I just didn't think about one thing. I tried to pull down those stupid lace panties, thinking they would stretch enough. Nope. They didn't. There was a fairly loud ripping sound and, "Shit!" as I cursed. _

_If those girls weren't suspicious of me before, they certainly were now. I tucked my purse under my arm with my ruined underwear in them before walking out of the stall, feeling more awkward than when I walked in. _

_Yup, I was going commando._

_And worse yet, those girls out there were all staring at me. I ignored them and walked over to the mirror, digging passed my panties to find my makeup. Might as well act like one of them, right? When in Rome and all that stuff. They continued to stare so before I walked out I made sure to give them a glare and snapped out, "What are you looking at? Freaks…"_

_It was passed midnight and with me going without underwear, I didn't really didn't want to continue dancing. It wasn't that hard to convince Mikado to go home but I wished our dancing had lasted a bit longer_

* * *

><p>Izaya without his jacket was a very odd sight, but in the current environment he would have looked odd with it on. Shizuo wasn't smart enough to change and was still wearing his bartender uniform. It pissed him off whenever someone would tap him on the shoulder and ask for a drink, which had already happened three times. Ugh… He needed to stop sitting there before he snapped on someone. But looking up at Izaya, it was clear the man had no intention to move. If anything, he seemed kind of hunched into himself.<p>

"Flea, are you feeling alright?" Shizuo snorted and rolled his eyes, playing off his concern as nothing more than a joke to make fun of the man. "I would think this would be right up your alley."

Izaya's look was sharp and could have _almost_ been a glare. "Shizu-chan, I don't hang out much in clubs. First of all, I'm not a people person. As you can tell, while I love them, most of them hate my guts. Second of all, when I do go to clubs, it's undercover to sit and watch people for work. What surprises me is how comfortable _you_ seem right now."

Now that he mentioned it, it would be a little odd to see Izaya out in a club. The blonde shrugged and sipped his martini. "Idiot, where's the place you got me fired from when you framed me? I used to work at a place like this and I go around every so often to forget my troubles after work. I'm used to this so it's no big deal for me."

Wow, what a role reversal. For once, Shizuo was the confident one and Izaya was tripping over himself. Shizuo glanced over to notice some guy with an empty glass eyeing him. Oh hell no… "Well, anyway, you're about to a crash course in dancing because I'm sick of sitting here. C'mon." There was no way he would let another patron in the club harass him for a drink. Grabbing Izaya's hand he forcefully dragged the man onto the dance floor.

"W-Wait, Shizu-chan, I don't think—"

"Shut up and dance." They were on the edge of the crowd so they didn't have bodies pressed in from all sides. Shizuo, like the pro he was, immediately started to the beat, just moving his body without actually dancing with anyone. Sighing in defeat, Izaya did they same, momentarily forgetting his mission of spying. Momentarily became longer than a moment as both men started to get into it, losing themselves to the music.

Actually, it was pretty nice to let go for once. Even when he felt someone behind him, Izaya didn't pause or stiffen like he usually would. He just danced back against the body, eyes closed as the bass pounded through him in sync with his heart beat. Cliché but poetic.

"Louse, stop grinding my crotch!"

Hands were around Izaya's waist, holding him close against the body behind him as the two moved with the flowing music, the voice low and growled in his ear. Thankfully the informant was well in control of his body or he would have shivered. "Then you stop grinding into my ass," he retorted with a playful smirk, rubbing himself back against Shizuo. A small shove sent him deeper into the crowds of people and away from his partner, just making the smirk widen. Heh… Didn't matter if they were allies for their mission, they still hated each other and Shizuo would always be Shizuo.

But before he could straighten and find a different partner, arms wrapped back around and when Izaya looked over his shoulder Shizuo was back with him, dancing again. Only this time there were hot, packed bodies around them, making the atmosphere less private but strangely more intimate. Huh… Looks like this was an exception to their hatred. A strange gleam in his eyes, Izaya picked back up with the music, going right back to grinding against Shizuo.


	14. Chapter 13

_Click. A stupid western. Click. Cliché chick flick. Click. Of course, Thursday night and there was nothing on TV. "No. No. No," he murmured while continuing down his list of channels. Sixteen and Pregnant…? "Thank god I will never have to worry about that." The Miracle of Life? "Oh dear lord no." Porno-? "Can someone really be that flexible?" Then he went back to his mantras of, "No. No. No." _

_Finally he gave up and just turned the TV off, flopping backwards on the couch in a dramatic fashion with an arm over his face. "Ugh… It's not worth it when there's no one to watch with." He was starting to despise going out and doing anything because of how boring it was to do it alone. Sure, he could make more friends, but he would feel like he had betrayed his old ones. They had been through so much, it was stupid to just give up on them. Nothing was the same without Mikado or Anri around._

* * *

><p>April 14th<p>

* * *

><p>Mina's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stood with Mikado on the moving sidewalk at the aquarium while she stared at the fish swimming in the tube around them. "Wow… This is amazing, Mikado-kun!" she exclaimed before turning to the chuckling boy and grabbing his hands. "I've been wanting to go here since I saw that commercial for the grand opening! What a great way to end the day after school! C'mon!" Her usual excited self, she took his hand and dragged him down the moving walkway, weaving through people. Mikado, of course, apologized profusely to everyone they passed.<p>

When they reached the man room, it was nothing but a huge dome surrounded by gallons of shimmering water and swimming fish off all sorts. Mina insisted on going around to see everything, pointing out every fish that swam by. She seemed very interested in the sharks and stingrays. Honestly, Mikado enjoyed watching her dart around the place, the blue shimmers from the water reflecting off her dress and making it look green in some places. It was prettier when the light reflected off her eyes, though.

Mikado was perfectly happy to follow Mina around, enjoying seeing her smiling and enthusiastic. She wasn't the only one, either. He caught sight of Shizuo sitting on a bench across the aquarium, sitting in the smoking section and snickering while watching Izaya tapping at one of the glass barriers. Huh… Since when did they give up fighting? Mikado really hoped they wouldn't start up a death match in the middle of a giant fish tank. They would drown everyone. But his thoughts were distracted by a tug on his jacket. "Mikado-kun, look!" just like that, he was back to watching his girlfriend.

After a few hours at the aquarium they left and went back to Mina's apartment for a movie night. "It's called Memoirs of a Geisha," Mikado explained when they got there and he tried to figure out Mina's DVD player. "The reviews online said it was great and held a lot of culture." He missed his girlfriend's crinkled nose, which had disappeared by the time he got up and turned around.

They settled down on the couch, Mina curled up against Mikado's side as the movie started. Of course Mikado found the film entrapping and he quickly lost track of time as he concentrated on the movie. It wasn't until two hours into the film he noticed Mina passed out against him, snoring softly.

The movie wasn't that boring, was it?

Mina stirred softly, nuzzling into Mikado's shoulder and causing the dark haired boy to chuckle and wrap an arm around her. No… Him. It was Masaomi, after all. Suddenly the movie became less interesting as Mikado pulled his friend closer to him, holding the snoring boy against him with his arms around Masaomi's waist. The past month and a half had held some of the best moments of his life and Mikado felt like he never wanted it to end. But eventually he would have to admit what he knew.

But how to do it? Mikado dropped back on his more mischievous side as a thought entered his head. "You're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with…" he murmured out loud to the sleeping Masaomi. And what do you do when you want to spend your life with someone?

* * *

><p><em>[Hey hey hey! Remember how I said I loved animals but they didn't like me? Yeah, I like fish too because they're animals but they're behind glass, so they can't hurt me. I love Mikado for the aquarium idea!<em>

_It was amazing in there. All the colorful fish! _

_I had a blast running around like a kid watching them all. I could tell Mikado was having fun he just wasn't as hyper as I was. _

_Afterward we went back to my house for a movie. While Mikado was wonderful at picking dates he was horrible at picking movies. I don't remember what it was called or what it was about or anything. It was the most boring thing I have ever watched. _

_Not that I watched much of it. I fell asleep on Mikado. Best nap I've ever had. Also, I've decided to repress my guilt. What? Me? Guilty? Haha!]_

* * *

><p>Thank god aquariums had smoking areas… Shizuo officially loved them. It was so calm there, with fish swimming silently around them, the sounds of talking and laughing muted. Even Izaya seemed quiet as he sat there, eyes wandering around the tanks as he watched clown fish float down around coral and sting rays glide by. It was easy to see he found the place amazing. Without a word the man got up and started wandering around, eyeing the little fish close up.<p>

Shizuo just sat back and watched, cigarette sticking out from between his lips as he took a puff. Izaya ended up converging with a small group of kids as they stared at a blowfish. He randomly tapped the glass a couple times until the fish suddenly inflated, making all the kids giggle. Shizuo rolled his eyes. "Enjoying yourself over there?"

Grinning, Izaya turned and pointed to the blowfish as it drifted away, slowly deflating. "Look Shizu-chan, it's just like you. You touch it and it—" He pulled his arms under his jacket before using his arms to suddenly puff up the coat around him, puffy up his cheeks as well. "Explodes!" Shizuo twitched, about to say something sharp to the man, but the kids were all giggling and Izaya's focus changed from the blonde to the little ones surrounding him. "Oh, so you all liked that did you?" His eyes narrowed before he bent down and puffed out his coat. Cackling, the kids scattered and Izaya promptly turned to chase after them.

Shizuo's anger dissipated as he snickered. Who knew fleas were good with kids?

But pretty soon the two kids they were tailing went to leave, and a concerned parent had seen the pocket knife strapped to Izaya's belt. They had to leave quickly. And just their luck, the two love birds happened to go back to Masaomi's apartment.


	15. Chapter 13 part 2

"Shit…"

The word came from both Shizuo and Izaya as they stood, looking fairly dejected, at Masaomi's apartment complex. Of course the two young ones would head back there. It was a safe place where no one could spy on them. Bad for the two spying on them, however.

"What now, flea? You're the one with experience in this area."

Izaya sighed and pursed his lips in thought. For the most part, he treated his little game like nothing more than a game. He would visibly tail the two and the least of his worries was keeping a constant eye on them. But it was time to bring out the big guns. He would treat this like a job. "Follow me."

The next few moments honestly impressed Shizuo. They entered the building but didn't grab the elevator right away. Instead Izaya stood there for a second staring at it. The blonde stared with him for several seconds before he realized what the informant was doing. He was watching the lights on top of the steel doors, marking the upward passage of the elevator and its passengers. When it stopped on the fifth floor Izaya smirked knowingly and pressed the button so they could go up.

Once on the right floor the information broker went from door to door, listening in to see if he could hear anything. The complex was much better than Mikado's, but it was still a cheap place. The doors were thin and Izaya could hear low murmurs. A family. An older sounding man. Ah… Mikado. Having the room pinned down he went and listened in on the one right next door. No sounds. He knocked. No answer.

"Stand back and watch the master work, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow, and took a step back as Izaya cracked his knuckles. It almost looked like the scrawny man was about to break the door down. Of course he didn't. He pulled out his ID and flick knife, the sight of the latter causing Shizuo to stiffen slightly. But Izaya didn't have time for a fight. He ran the ID through the crack of the door and worked the blade of the knife into the keyhole. Within thirty seconds he had the apartment door open.

"How the…"

"This is my job, Shizu-chan, and I'm good at it."

With a confident smirk he held the door for Shizuo and closed it behind him. The apartment was completely empty and smelled strongly of fresh paint. Tarps were laid on the floor to protect them from the between-tenant renovations. It was perfect for their stake-out.

Grinning at his good work, Izaya went to the back bedroom that shared a wall with Masaomi's living room wall. Pressing an ear against the wall, he could easily hear through the thin plaster. "Wonderful…" he muttered, waving Shizuo over. "You can hear through the wall. I think they're watching Memoirs of a Geisha."

"What of a Geisha?" Shizuo walked up as well, pressing his ear against the wall. "Never heard of it."

"Of course you haven't."

For once, Shizuo didn't bother asking about or getting angry over the obvious insult. He was too busy straining to hear through the wall. They must have been an odd pair, both enemies in an empty apartment with their ear pressed in an attempt to spy on two high school students. But neither really minded, neither paying much attention to the situation. They should have been.

At least Izaya had kept both ears open, listening to see if someone would discover them. He heard the faint click of a key in a lock. Jumpy during his jobs, the sound spurred him quick action. Grabbing Shizuo's hand, he yanked the unsuspecting blonde across the room and pushed him into the closet. In an instant he was pressed up against Shizuo in the small space with the door closed.

"Wh-What the hell-?"

"Hush!" Izaya hissed. A second later Shizuo heard why. Someone had entered the apartment. There were footsteps and then the house of music playing, making the informant sigh. "Well, we could be here awhile… He must be the renovation man."

Izaya felt more than heard a quick intake of an angered breath. "It's getting late. He can't be here for long." In the darkness the dark haired male could only see the faint online of Shizuo's dress shirt. But the other's voice was enough to tell he was pissed.

"Unless he's here to paint. Then he can stay as long as he wants."

The two lapsed into silence; nothing but the sound of their breathing in the closet space. They were literally chest to chest with barely in room between them, making every movement awkward and very clearly felt. Shizuo tried taking even breaths to calm his ever growing anger but it got worse the more he thought about the situation. If he got arrested for breaking and entering he would break Izaya's body.

"So…" Izaya mused thoughtfully, searching for something to fill the silence besides the vulgar English music currently playing through the house and masking their voices. "How's your brother?"

"…Good." Shizuo cleared his throat softly. "Have you seen his new movie?"

"Not yet."

"He sent me a copy if you wanna barrow it or something." The offer was muttered grudgingly.

Izaya shook his head but it went unseen. "No. I'm sure my sisters will make me watch it when I have the time."

There was a disembodied snort from the darkness. "Right," the blonde muttered, an eye roll in his tone. "You have the time to stalk two high school students but you don't have the time to watch a movie with your sisters? That's low, louse, even for you. You're work can't keep you that busy if you have so much time to be a creep."

"I haven't accepted any jobs in the past month, Shizu-chan," Izaya explained patiently, like he was talking to a child. "There's only so much one person can take. I have to take some time to myself to pursue my hobbies. Like anyone else I don't get paid during that time so I have to be careful with my funds. I've been having to cut back to continue this little adventure. I hope everything works out quick before I have to get back to work."

It was odd hearing Izaya speak about his job like that. Shizuo always assumed the flea loved it; crawling around his gutters to get information from stupid people that had gotten on the wrong side of the Yakuza. But it almost sounded like the man was normal. Someone that did their job for money not necessarily pleasure. Weird… But it didn't change the fact the flea was going to get his face pounded.

Especially when the man let out a small hum and said, "About the dance the other night… You seemed to be enjoying yourself as you grinded against me."

Shizuo growled softly as his anger spiked again, quickly catching the teasing and mocking note in Izaya's voice. "I wasn't grinding against you, you were grinding against me. Now shut up and die, bastard."

There was a snicker but Izaya didn't say anything else, knowing better than to press his luck on the matter. After all, their truce was a very fragile thing. It was only being held together by their curiosity over Masaomi's situation and nothing else. It would be extremely easy to break that thread and send them both back into their hatred. Which is exactly what would happen when everything was resolved on the kids' side.

Pity, really…

Silence lapsed again, more thoughtful than anything else. Both attempted to think of something to say to ease the sudden tension while the music droned on. But no topic was thought of and they stood like that for god knows how long.

It was Izaya that broke the silence first, sighing softly and letting his head fall forward until his forehead hit the fabric of Shizuo's vest. "My legs hurt…" he muttered before the blonde could protest too much.

As it was, Shizuo just sighed in mild annoyance. "Stand straight," he said, gently pushing Izaya off him. "I'll see if I can't find a way for us to sit down." Izaya nodded and pressed back as far as he could as Shizuo attempted to wriggle down between him and the other wall. It was very uncomfortable as the blonde attempted to slide down the wall, his legs tangling with his companions for a moment. Though honestly it was relief to move a bit.

"U-Uh, Shizu-chan, your nose is—"

"Shut up! I don't want to know where my nose is!" Though he had a pretty good idea about it. Finally with a slightly pained grunt his butt hit the floor and he managed to wiggle around and cross his legs without tripping Izaya. "Okay, flea… Just ease yourself down. For once I won't kill you for sitting on my lap."

Of course Izaya had to do differently. He shifted and just flopped down, which ended in both of them groaning out in pain.

"The hell did I tell you?"

"Sorry. I thought it would be easier this way."

Izaya shifted so he was sitting sideways on Shizuo's lap, feeling much better now that he wasn't on his feet. He sighed softly and the silence was back on. Awkward… More so now because they were so close. At first it was obvious Shizuo didn't know where to put his hands. His palms were pressed into the ground at his sides rather stiffly. After awhile he shifted and allowed himself to relax a bit, as did Izaya.

"Sorry, Shizu-chan," the dark haired man muttered out of nowhere as he sighed softly and laid his head against Shizuo's.

"Pfft… For getting us into this mess? You better be sorry because when we get out of here I'm busting your face in."

Of course… The apology went completely over Shizuo's head. It had nothing to with the situation they were in. It was more of a general apology for everything that had happened. Sure, Izaya loved their fights and he hated the violent blonde but spending time with him without fighting hadn't been so bad. He wasn't quite sure that he liked Shizuo as anything more than a stalking companion, but he still felt the need to apologize.

"Sure… Let's say that's what I was apologizing for."

Silence. Then, "What were you saying sorry for if it wasn't that?"

Izaya rolled his eyes. He was tempted to say nothing and ignore Shizuo the rest of the time. But for some reason he didn't. "I was apologizing for everything," he clarified. "For tonight but mostly for always messing with you. Framing you for murder, constantly sparking your anger, causing you to lose countless jobs, bothering and annoying you on a weekly and almost daily bases…"

Silence. Again. For a moment Izaya thought Shizuo was just going to ignore the apology but then the blonde sighed. "Never thought that would come from you, flea," he muttered. "It almost sounded convincing but I know you better than I know anyone. You wouldn't say sorry. You don't feel bad about anything. But thanks for the thought anyway."

At first Izaya twitched, his own anger building at his enemies words. He was tempted to start something in the closet, likely getting them both arrested; not that either of them cared. But the last part almost sounded sincere so the anger dissipated pretty quick. Silence took over again only this time Izaya only lasted through half of it. Shizuo glanced down, not seeing much but he could feel how relaxed the other was and feel his even breathing. Izaya had fallen asleep. On him. In a closet.

Five hours. It had been five whole hours until the music outside the closet stopped. Shizuo knew because he had blinded himself by taking out his phone and checking the time. The waited another hour of silence to make sure the cost was clear before he roused Izaya. They crept out of the closet, glad to see the apartment was dark and empty. They didn't say anything as they stretched and popped stiff joints. Izaya rubbed his eyes sleepily and checked the time.

Flipping out his phone with a yawn, Izaya glanced at the time as they walked to the door, both too tired to speak. Eleven o'clock. He stopped dead still in the hallway with a groan as he realized one major problem.

"What?" Shizuo stopped and turned as well, raising an eyebrow.

"The last train for Shinjuku left three minutes ago," he answered with a sigh as he pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I don't have the money for a hotel room and I have too many enemies to walk home in the dark." His index finger tapped against the edge of his cell phone while he stared at the screen, thinking of a way he could get back home. Or at the very least find a place to stay without paying too much.

Shizuo sighed and rolled his eyes before fixing the other with a glare. "Well I'm hungry and I'm not waiting for your butt. If you don't have anywhere to stay you can camp out at my place. But you're sleeping on the couch and you're gone in the morning. No breakfast."

"You live better than I thought you do," Izaya admitted as he looked around Shizuo's apartment, running a casual finger along the back of the man's couch. It wasn't as nice as Masaomi's but it didn't seem like the blonde really cared where he lived as long as he had a roof over his head. The front door led right into the living, which held a futon loveseat, a small TV, and a table with a lap. There was a small terrace off the living room then there was the small kitchen separated by a low counter. A hall on the other side of the living room looked like it lead to the bedroom and bathroom. It wasn't too bad.

Shizuo snorted and immediately walked to the kitchen to dig through the pantry. With a flick of his wrist he had his bowtie unclipped and his glasses tucked into his vest. He pulled out a pack of instant Ramen and started fixing it. "What, you thought I lived in a box?"

"Not exactly," was Izaya's answer. Smirking, he flopped down on one half of the love seat like he owned the place. "Though you should learn how to actually cook. That stuff has way too much salt. It's not good for you." There was only a grunt as an answer as Shizuo finished his food and came to sit down next to his guest. The TV was turned on and the blonde started eating, balancing the bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other.

Again, things were silent.

At least until Izaya glanced over and suddenly went ridged in his seat with his back ramrod straight. Shizuo paused in his consumption of food and raised an eyebrow. Fleas were weird… "You okay?"

"Spider." It was a small hiss; barely heard.

"What?" Shizuo shifted forward and leaned around Izaya to see a quarter-sized spider crawling along the edge of his end table. The informant stared at the thing from the corner of his eyes, looking a bit pale. It was one of the those, "If I don't move maybe it won't see me," things.

"Kill it."

"You're joking me, right?" Shizuo asked, fixing Izaya with a disbelieving look. "It's a freaking spider. If it bothers you that much then kill it yourself. You're closer anyway." Suddenly the blonde smirked, realizing that the tables had been tilted. "Unless you're afraid of it… Louse, are you actually afraid of a spider?" Oh, this was rich. Shizuo couldn't help but laugh. "Really? A spider?"

Izaya head snapped around with a dark glare. "Shut up and die," he snapped venomously. "After you kill it."

So the man was honestly afraid of spiders? Still snickering, Shizuo stood up and swiped a paper towel from the kitchen. Within seconds the bug was dead, thrown away, and Izaya was allowed to relax. Though it was probably a moment he would never live down from the look on the blonde's face. But nothing was mentioned as Shizuo finished his food and washed his bowl.

"Alright flea. Lights out," he commanded simply when he was finished. Clicking off the lamp he started towards his room until Izaya caught his arm.

"Wait. I don't want to sleep on the couch," the man said rather stiffly. "For one thing, your couch isn't very comfortable. I'm used to my bed or at least my expensive couch." Though in reality he just didn't want to sleep where he had seen a spider. They both knew it but Shizuo was mature enough to not point that out. Instead he pointed back to the couch, a clear sign that he wouldn't allow Izaya to sleep anywhere else. Then he yanked his arm away, went to his room, and shut the door.

Surprisingly, he felt a tiny bit guilty.

Ignoring it, he stripped and got ready for bed in nothing but a pair of sweats. He spent an hour tossing and turning in an attempt to get to sleep, but Izaya kept popping up in his head. The blonde told himself he was merely mentally laughing at his enemy's fear but he knew better. He felt bad. So heaving an annoyed sigh he got up and went to check on the man.

Izaya was sitting in the center of the love seat with his knees pulled to his chest. A scowl was set on his features and it was clear he hadn't been able to sleep. Or he just didn't try. Shizuo sighed.

"Louse, get in my room!" he snapped as the corner of his eye twitched. "But you better stay on your side of the bed and if you touch me I'm going to beat the shit out of you. Understand?"

The next five minutes found the two hated enemies snuggled down in the same bed and sharing the same blanket. Izaya was in his boxers and his shirt and feeling much more comfortable. More comfortable then he should have. He fell asleep quickly as after fidgeting for several more moments he drifted off as well.

Izaya felt strangely warm in the morning and it had nothing to do with the sunlight landing on his cheek and burning through his eyes. Nope. When the informant woke up in the morning, he was staring straight at a sleeping Shizuo's bare chest while he was being cuddled against the man.

"Uh oh…" he murmured, remembering the words of last night. Had he rolled over in the middle of the night or something? Again, that was a no. Shizuo was the one that moved in his sleep, rolled over on Izaya's side of the the bed and then started spooning him. Awkward did not even begin to describe the situation as the man tried to wriggle away from the other without waking him up. But the blonde was far too strong, even in his sleep.

So he did the next best thing.

He ignored it, settled back down, and closed his eyes. If he couldn't get away there was no choice. He would enjoy his time feeling someone so close and pretend to be asleep in hopes that Shizuo wouldn't kill him. Izaya's common sense told him he should have been uncomfortable being spooned by a monster, but the warm body and strong arms around him felt human. Strange…

When Shizuo woke up there was a moment of confused silence and then a quick, angry intake of air before the blonde realized it wasn't Izaya's fault. He was the one that had rolled over and grabbed the body next to him. Needless to say he pulled away quickly and, feeling guilty, even offered the flea breakfast.


	16. Chapter 14

_Dresses were only half of Masaomi's struggles. There was much more to being a woman than the clothing and the walk. Being a woman was like an art. You had to be a painter and a rocket scientist. Masaomi was starting to give women credit, that was for sure. Getting ready in the morning consisted of a lot of steps. First he had to put on the bra. That was hard enough. It took him a good five to ten minutes to get the little clips in the right places without having it lopsided or missing one. _

_Then came the real challenge: Makeup. _

_The lip gloss was the hardest to get used to since it was so sticky and rubbed off on everything. Not to mention it tasted like cherry so he had to remind him he couldn't constantly lick his lips. The light dusting of blush wasn't that bad, he just had to be careful he didn't add too much. The eye liner, however… That was a bitch. He hated the stuff after the third time he jabbed his eye trying to put it out. _

_Yup… He had to hand it to the women. They were good at being girls._

* * *

><p>April 18th<p>

* * *

><p>Things were going perfectly in Mikado's eyes. Masaomi looked stunning in a simple black dress and his usual yellow wedges. This time he had fixed up his hair a bit, adding yellow clips with a very tasteful dusting of makeup. It was hard to keep from staring at him while they ate sushi at a small place downtown. But of course Mikado was very respectful the whole time. Honestly, he was horribly nervous by the time they left the restaurant.<p>

"—And did you see the look that waiter was giving us? He was such a freak!"

As usual, Masaomi was all over the place, using his hands to enunciate his words as they walked through the evening streets of 'Bukuro. Mikado was only half paying attention to the conversation, though. He was too busy mentally assessing his mentality. How could he ever think Masaomi had been Mina? Thinking on it, it was so obvious. The same hyper personality. The same hair color and style, though 'Mina's hair was just a bit longer. Same habit wearing yellow. It was so obvious!

"Mikado-kun, where are we going anyway?" Tapping his lips thoughtfully, Masaomi turned expertly on his wedged heel and fell back into step with his date.

Mikado smiled. "It's a surprise, Mina-chan. But I know you'll like it."

He remembered his first day in Ikebukuro. He had been so nervous… A lot had happened since then. Mikado was still himself but a lot of his naivety had been lost. More than Masaomi even knew. He was no longer the nervous, jumpy little boy that had never left his home town. Though he was still the nervous type it wasn't near as extreme.

Thinking like that made him think of his first request to his friend when he got off the train. He had wanted to go to Sunshine 60.

"_Now? Haha! That's the type of place you take your girlfriend, not your best friend."_

It was place to take both, now, considering his girlfriend _was_ his best friend. Mikado, with his arm draped casually around Masaomi's waist, led him towards the busiest part of Ikebukuro and towards the sixty story building of Sunshine 60. Of course Masaomi knew what was coming and he grinned.

"Mikado-kun, don't tell me you're taking me to the most romantic place in the city~" she sang out teasingly as he walked towards the door. Mikado didn't answer but his smile widened as he led his best friend towards the elevator and to the roof. The ride to the top was slow and uneventful, which gave Mikado time to calm his pounding heart as Masaomi exclaimed, "Ah, you're so sweet! I swear, you're the best boyfriend ever. Mikado-kun, you always plan out our dates so nothing goes wrong, don't you? Whoever taught you this must have been the master!"

The boy chuckled. "He was something like that, yes."

As soon as the elevator doors open, Masaomi rushed out to the edge of the roof and leaned against the rail, eyes wide as he looked out at the twinkling lights of Ikebukuro. "Wow, look at this! It's beautiful!" Then he threw his head back and looked up at the sliver of moon in the sky along with the twinkling stars. "Look, even the sky looks closer to us! You know, I've never been up here, Mikado-kun." He glanced back as Mikado walked to join him.

"It's pretty," he agreed, smiling over at his friend.

Smiling back, Masaomi turned to look back over the city. The moonlight caught on the locket around his neck and sent another flutter of nervousness through Mikado as he realized the blonde hadn't taken it off since the day he got it.

"Mikado-kun, are you okay?" Masaomi asked suddenly. Mikado blinked, realizing his date had been staring at him.

The boy quickly looked out over the city with a nervous laugh. "Wh-What do you mean, M-Mina-chan…?"

"You look nervous," the blonde said, looking amused. He turned around and hooked his arms through the rail so he could lean against his back against it and smirked playfully at Mikado. "This isn't our first date so you don't have to look like everything is about to go wrong. I'm sure you've planned out everything perfectly and this is beautiful. You shouldn't be so self-conscious."

This seemed to give Mikado a bit of courage. He took Masaomi's hand and led him away from the rail. At first the blonde frowned but as soon as Mikado dropped to one knee and reached into his pocket, Masaomi's face changed to horrified shock. He tried to pull away but the hand on his tightened and wouldn't let him take it back. Mikado brought out a black box and flipped it open with his thumb. He willed his voice not to shake. "Will you marry me?"

Masaomi stopped trying to yank his hand away and stood there numbly while Mikado pulled the ring out and slipped it on his finger. It was a perfect fit and the blonde stared at the small diamond on as Mikado stood. It wasn't the biggest but did that really matter?

"M-Mikado…"

Numbly, Masaomi walked over to one of the stone parts of the roof and sat down as Mikado watched with a small smile, waiting for an answer. But Masaomi didn't give one right away. He just buried his face in his face in his hands and burst out in tears, his shoulders shaking in sobs. Mikado's smile was gentle as he walked over and took one of his friend's hands, pulling it away from his face. "Well?" he asked calmly. Of course he expected this, though.

Masaomi lifted his head, his other hand falling into his lap as he looked up miserably. "I can't…" he murmured. This time he didn't bother to disguise his voice. It was all Kida Masaomi. It was good to hear his voice again and Mikado didn't bother looking surprised as his friend continued. "I-I'm so sorry, Mikado… I lied… I'm M-Masaomi…" Seconds before he looked happy as can be, but now he was a sniffling mess with puffy eyes and running makeup.

It was honestly beautiful.

Mikado smiled. "I know," he said.

The blonde's wet eyes widened. "H-How-?"

"I've known for around three weeks," he answered with a shrug. "I should have noticed sooner, really. But that doesn't change anything. You didn't change your personality, Masaomi-kun. It's why I fell in love with you so easily. And then when I found out I was you I realized it didn't change anything. I didn't fall in love with your gender or your looks. I fell for your personality. It's taken me three weeks to decide that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you even though I told you I didn't want you around here anymore. I didn't want you getting involved with the gangs but I missed you, Masaomi-kun. And I'm really happy you went through all this trouble just for me."

Masaomi's mouth hung at his old friend's words as tears continued to drip from his eyes and down his cheeks.

Mikado wrapped an arm around the blonde's shoulder, gently rubbing his back. "I just have one question. What happened to Saki?"

Reaching up, Masaomi started to wipe at his tears and the black streaks tracing down his cheeks. "She was just using me." The tears were even thick in his voice. "She wanted to get away from Izaya's influence so she convinced me that she loved me so I would run away with her. As soon as I got her to Kyoto she took off. She kissed me, said she loved me, and then when I woke up she was gone and had taken all of her stuff." He sniffed and added a bitter, "She learned well from her mentor."

He sighed and leaned up, letting his forehead rest against Mikado's stomach. "It doesn't matter, though. I didn't love her I was just doing what I thought was right. It made me miserable, though. I missed you so much and every time Saki and I were out I wished I was with you. When she left it allowed me to come back but you didn't want me. When I went back to Kyoto I found some of her old dresses and…" he trailed off, figuring Mikado could figure out the rest of the story.

Mikado nodded in understanding but he was starting to look a little worried. Biting his lip and knelt down to Masaomi's level. "But you never answered by question, Masaomi-kun." At the blonde's questioning look he repeated, "Will you marry me?"

This made Masaomi tear up all over again as he nodded.

* * *

><p>[<em>My night with Mikado was amazing in more ways than one. I swear, that kid has the magic touch. No matter what I'm worried or stressed about, spending time with him takes care of it in an instant. Lately I've felt horrible for lying to him but I don't know how to tell the truth so I kept up with the lie. I'm so guilty, though. Every time I'm alone I can't help but feel like shit for lying to my friend. More than that… Lying to my boyfriend.<em>

_But tonight that didn't matter. We went to a sushi shop and—though I love Simon dearly—it was a lot better than Russian Sushi. More expensive, though. We talked about school and laughed over stupid little things like we always do. I mean really! Every time we're together I feel like I've never left! It's great. The only downside was the waiter that kept checking me out. He was a creeper, honestly, and looked like the same guy from the Italian place Mikado took me too. It was a little awkward but I'm used to getting stared at. _

_(Am I really that hot? Wow!)_

_Afterward we went for a walk. I thought he was taking me back to my apartment but I realized he completely walked passed my street. Instead he took me to Sunshine 60. The view was beautiful. Stupid, but it was my first time to the top of that building. Hey! It's not my fault, okay? I haven't had a girlfriend besides Saki and with her in the hospital we never got a chance to go there. _

_But honestly, I'm glad I went with Mikado and not her. _

_Things got pretty bad, though. He looked nervous and kept zoning out. That isn't uncommon for him but usually on our dates the only thing he concentrates on is me. Really, I taught him well. The kid may be awkward but at least he's learning. Uh… Anyway. It worried me how spaced he was but when I mentioned it he suddenly grabbed my hand and got down on one knee. I thought my heart was going to explode. My first thought was to turn and run but he wouldn't let go of my hand. I probably would have jumped off the edge of the building if I could have. _

_I felt like shit. _

_I had lied to my best friend. I had led him on. I allowed him to fall in love with me when he didn't know it was me. I was going to break his heart. I was going to hurt him even more than I had ever hurt him before. Okay, just because I'm dressed like a girl doesn't mean it's been affecting my head, but I started crying. Anyone would have when they were about to crush their friend. So I cried and admitted who I was. _

_Guess what? _

_He already knew. Can you believe that? I wasn't so relieved I would have been pissed that he didn't tell me. Not that I had much room to talk since I lied to him all that time. But yeah, he knew I was Masaomi. He told me he loved me for me. I'm telling you, I must pretty lucky. Mikado is the kindest person I know. He honestly fell in love with personality instead of looks. He didn't even care about gender! How many people ignore that? _

_I explained about Saki and how she left me. But thinking about it didn't upset me like it usually does. After all, I don't need her. I've always wanted Mikado but I thought I would never get him so I settled for her. It wasn't very fair to her but at the time I didn't even realize it. Now that I have Mikado I don't need her. Still… I hope she's happy wherever she is and whoever she's with. _

_I still have the ring on and as I'm writing this I can't help but glance at it every so often. It's not the biggest or the best but it's still a diamond. Mikado doesn't do things half-ass. He went all out. I just wonder how much this cost him and where he found the money. Eh… It doesn't really matter, though, does it? He asked me to marry him and I said yes. Let me rephrase. He asked me, not Mina, and I said yes. _

_I'm so happy right now and I love him so much.]_

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><p>Sunshine 60… Mikado sure knew how to go all out. It was a prime date place for young lovers because it overlooked the whole city. Every twinkling light was visible and every star was out just for them. It was a sweet and personal moment for them. They never noticed that Izaya and Shizuo were there and spying on them. They were crotched in an unlit section of the roof; ducked behind a short concrete barrier.<p>

"Is the kid doing what I think he's doing?"

"Proposing? Well, Shizu-chan, he's down on one knee with a box in his hand and Masaomi-kun is crying, so I'd say he just proposed."

"Smartass flea."

Even after that one night spent together they were still the same. Nothing much had changed. Or so they told themselves. In reality a lot had changed. Izaya no longer used 'monster' as an insult and Shizuo's comments of 'flea' and 'louse' weren't said with the same loathing venom.

"This is sort of sweet…" Shizuo muttered as he watched, eyes locked on the young couple. He had his chin resting on his arms, which were crossed on the top of the concrete slab. Izaya glanced over at him, but he already knew that Shizuo had a thing for love stories. The blonde had a lot of ideas about love and when something didn't fit them, he often grew angry about it. Something sweet like this was bound to touch his heartstrings.

Giving a small hum, Izaya leaned back. "We could do that too," he mused out loud.

Shizuo's head snapped up in an instant. "Get married?"

"Tch. No," the informant clarified as he rolled his eyes. He gestured towards the kids, who were currently lip-locked. Masaomi must have said yes. "I meant… That. Not marriage but the…" How to phrase it? Izaya grimaced slightly, as if he was thinking of something foul. "The lovey dovey stuff. Instead of fighting. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, Shizu-chan."

The blonde's horrified face slowly wore off and he snorted as he turned back to the kids. "I'm telling you right now, flea, the fighting will never stop. But I guess when I'll stop trying to kill you and I _suppose_ you can pop up more in 'Bukuro. But if you get too annoying you can bet I'm going to smash your face in with a vending machine. I just won't kill you." He paused and his eyes flickered to Izaya. "On one condition. It's a complete truce. You have to stop playing your mind games and fucking around with me. I'm tired of being your pawn. If you break the truce I'll hunt you down and break your body. Understand?"

Izaya smirked and nodded.

"I'm serious," the man repeated as his eyes narrowed.

"I know you are, Shizu-chan. So am I for once."

Satisfied, Shizuo let the topic drop and they went back to spying. Masaomi was tear-stained and makeup-streaked but looked quite happy snuggled against Mikado's side as they gazed out across the city, chatted, and laughed. Izaya was quite happy for them, which he found odd. But he told himself the happiness was only because Shizuo had wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close, not because he actually cared for Masaomi and Mikado's happy ending. Hell… Everyone got their happy ending.


	17. Epilogue

…"_**Her**__," turned out to be Masaomi-kun. I didn't find out until half-way through our relationship but by then it was too late. I was in love and it didn't matter that she was a he or that he was my old best friend. Last night I proposed to him and he admitted everything to me. I found out that Saki-chan had left him and I found out that he had always loved me even when he was with her. None of it bothered me. He said yes and even though we can't get married legally, he has the ring and he has my heart, so the paperwork doesn't matter as much. _

_Speaking of which, I'm very thankful to everyone for helping me with this. I had originally gone to Tom-san about a loan so I could pay for the date and the ring. It was pretty expensive and I promised to pay it back with the part-time job I was getting. He said it wasn't a problem but I know he and Heiwajima-san have a job to do. Funny thing about that, though. When I brought my first paycheck to him this morning, he said someone had paid the debt already. He said it was Orihara-san, but I don't see how that could have been true. _

_Still… Whoever it was I owe big time. Anyway, it's late and I think I'm keeping Masaomi-kun up with the light. So good night, Dairy-sama, and thanks for listening to another one of my stories._

* * *

><p>A Year Later:<p>

* * *

><p><em>Dear Diary-sama,<em>

_I think Masaomi-kun's time as a female has affected his brain. It's been a year since we're been together and he still slips up. The other day I we were going out and I noticed something odd. Masaomi-kun was wearing his usual outfit but instead of tennis shoes he wore yellow wedges. That's the third time he's slipped up like that. Of course being nice I kindly pointed this out to him. He paused in the middle of the sidewalk and glanced down at his feet. I could actually see the corner of his eye twitch before he stomped his foot and shouted, "Damn it!" _

_I get the feeling he wasn't very happy about it. _

_And then we were getting ready to leave the house last week when I caught him putting on eyeliner in the bathroom. _

"_Masaomi-kun, you don't have to wear that anymore, you know," I pointed out. Okay, I laughed a little bit too, which probably didn't help the situation. _

_He stopped and shouted another, "Damn it!" only this one was followed by, "It's waterproof!" He had to continue putting it on so he didn't look weird and he walked around with it on all day. _

_He even continues sitting like he's in a dress. I'm used to Masaomi-kun flopping down wherever he wants, but he's gotten used to sitting down like a lady with his knees together. If someone points it out he gives them a dirty look and immediately spreads his legs again. I don't know if I should laugh or be worried about him. I love him dearly, though. Even if he likes to window shop at the dress boutiques downtown. _

_On the plus side he no longer hits on woman. After all, he had me to embarrass in public now. I really do love him._


	18. Bonus Chapter!

Bonus Chapter:

_One week after the proposal and the truth coming out, Mikado realized something very problematic. Masaomi's was registered at Raira as Kishimei Mina instead of Kida Masaomi. Meaning that if he graduated, his diploma would only be good if he went through life continuing as Mina. Mikado was certain that wasn't what his husband would do and the thought of Masaomi either ruining his education or going through high school again made Mikado feel horribly, horribly guilty. _

_Thinking about it, it didn't even make sense that Mina had gotten into Raira without transcripts from her past schools. Mikado did a little digging to find that underground operations and foraged papers were involved. Oh boy… Masaomi really had gone all out. He couldn't blame the boy but it created a big problem for his future. Had he really planned to give everything up for Mikado? Sighing, Mikado devised a plan that included a few favors of his own. He would sort things out._

* * *

><p>Raira Academy Graduation<p>

Masaomi sat in the folding chair on the school lawn, gently fanning himself to ward off the heat. Though he was thankfully in a skirt instead of the boys' uniforms, which were much hotter. He was extremely happy the end of the year had come. Mikado may have known the truth, but he was enrolled as Kishimei Mina in the school records, therefore he had to be Kishimei Mina until school ended. It was tough but after the graduation he would finally be done with it. Back to pants and his sweatshirt.

The ceremony was tedious. It started off well with Mikado's valedictorian speech but when they started calling everyone up one by one to get their diploma, things took a turn for the worse. It was so boring!

"Kida Masaomi."

Finally! Masaomi stood and took three steps before he noticed what went wrong. He was going by Mina… They should have called Mina. That meant one thing.

Suddenly pissed, Masaomi stormed up the wooden steps of the stage, ripped his diploma from the principal's hand, and grabbed the mic before anyone could shoo him off stage. Turning to face his peers he called out, "I could have been wearing pants!" A hush fell over everyone. No one knew how to react to that, even the school officials. By Masaomi was far from done. Gripping the mic tightly in his hand, he started ripping at the buttons on his uniform.

"You all knew who I was this whole time? And you didn't tell me? This whole time I've been in a skirt because the school had be enrolled as Mina but I could have wear pants?" Enraged, he yanked the skirt off and threw off the shirt, leaving himself in the padded bra and pink, frilly panties. Then the bra was removed too as he threw it to the ground and stopped his foot while glaring out at everyone. "Do you know what hell I've been through because I thought no one knew? But this whole time I could have been wearing pants instead of that skirt!"

By this point people were slowly getting over their shock. At least the students were. Mikado had stood quickly from his seat and was making his way over to the stage as the student body burst into laughter, many of them easily recognizing Kida Masaomi.

"Why are you all laughing?" Masaomi shouted, throwing a hand up in the air to show his annoyance. "It's not funny!" Someone pointed to his panties and he glanced down, twitching violently. "I forgot I was wearing these, okay?" He was starting to turn red. Thankfully by that point, the resource officers at the school had snapped out of their shock and rushed to the stage to get him down. He went willingly and Mikado met him at the bottom of the stairs, looking flustered and guilty.

"M-Masaomi-kun, the student body didn't know!" he blurted as he trailed after Masaomi and the officers towards the school office.

"What?"

"I only told the president of the school! I'm so sorry!" Everyone was getting a kick out of the scene. The crowd was still laughing and even the resource officers were snickering. Mikado bit his lip and repeated, "I'm sorry! I knew you couldn't use the diploma as Kida Masaomi so I told the president so that he could at least change the name on your diploma. I didn't know he would change the name on the roster. I'm so sorry Masaomi-kun!"

It was the most memorable graduation Raira had ever seen. Homemade videos of Masaomi throwing off his bra and shouting, "I could have been wearing pants!" happened to be the highlight of many web shows and was even mentioned on the local news. Masaomi would never live it down but Mikado would never live it down that it had been his fault.

* * *

><p>"IZAAAAAAAYAAAAAA-KUUUUUN!" The enraged cry filled the streets of Ikebukuro. There was a cloud of dust that cleared crowds of people as Orihara Izaya raced around a corner and took off down the sidewalk, giggling like mad. He was quickly followed by Heiwajima Shizuo, the blonde carrying a stop sign with his flushed face twisted in rage. "What did I tell you about doing that in public?" With a cry, the stop sign was thrown, but of course Izaya deftly dodged it.<p>

They were travelling along familiar roads towards Raira Academy, but neither really bothered to notice. Shizuo was too busy ripping up mailboxes, road signs, and street lights in an attempt to crush his crush.

"You know you liked it~" Izaya sang as he stopped and turned to face Shizuo with a grinning face, his flick knife out in his hand.

"Like hell I did! Die you fucking bastard!"

Both knew it wasn't meant but to everyone else, it was a clear threat as Shizuo rushed forward, grabbed another sign, and continued taking swings at the smaller man. Izaya dodged two, ducked under the third, and had his lips pressed against Shizuo's before a fourth could be dealt. His knife was pressed against the blonde's neck but it went unnoticed.

The kiss was light or loving. It was rough and passionate and Shizuo soon found himself swept away in it. In front of everyone there was a second make out scene and which the two quickly found themselves hold each other with tongues clashing. Izaya broke for breath and like time they stood there panting a moment before Izaya glanced over Shizuo's shoulder and burst out laughing.

"Wh-What the hell you fucking fl— Whoa." He was cut off as Izaya spun him around and pointed to the Raira graduation. Masaomi was up on stage in nothing but pink panties. The stop sign dropped and the two loving enemies burst into laughing, using each other for support.

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><p>AN: I felt really terrible about making everyone wait forever for an update because I'm a lazy ass, so look what I did! Alright, the story's done now and I'm super happy everyone liked/loved it and the reviews from everyone were so nice! And thanks for putting up with me being all lazy and not updating on time. OTL Thank you for reading everyone and you all can thank NarutoAddicted95 for pushing me to finally update.


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